To Catch A Killer
by Thorne Lockehart
Summary: Formerly called 'Damaged Goods'. A criminally insane serial killer escapes from prison in North Carolina and Mac Taylor calls upon the Wilmington Crime Lab in North Carolina to help. Enter Isabella Pacino. Flack/OC eventually. Rated T for violence.
1. Watch Me Shine

Summary: After a serial killer escapes from a prison in Wilmington, NC, Mac Taylor calls upon the Wilmington Crime Lab for a joint investigation and eventually a job. Enter Isabella 'Killer' Pacino. Unfortunately, she's the only daughter of the notorious Armando Pacino Jr of the Pacino crime family, Shadow's Blade in New York. This will cause some trouble…

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: NY or any of its characters. I own Isabella 'Killer' Pacino and whoever is unrecognizable from the series. All credit goes to CBS.

A/N: I hope you like this story, please R&R!

Rating: T

Pairings: Flack/OC eventually C:

* * *

_Better watch out, I'm goin' for the knockout_

_And I won't stop till I'm on top now_

_Not gonna give up until I get what's mine_

_Better check that I'm about to upset_

_And I'm up now, so you'd better step back_

_I'm taking over so watch me shine_

_Vanessa Carlton – Watch Me Shine_

* * *

The sun shone brightly in the sky as Detective Isabella Pacino walked down the streets of her hometown.

_'Time to go to work'_, she thought with a sigh. She opened the door to the Wilmington Police Department and walked in.

"Pacino, Detective Adams wants you", Aria De Luca called from her desk in the bullpen. Isabella nodded to her partner before pressing the 'up' button on the elevator.

"If he calls, tell him I'm on my way up", she replied. She stepped into the elevator and took a deep breath. She and her boss usually got along, but the crime lab was a tense place. The doors opened and Isabella stepped out and went for the office that her boss occupied. Isabella knocked on the door.

"Come in", a male voice called. Isabella opened the door and walked in.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" she said. She blinked her aqua eyes at him, trying to decipher the harsh and annoyed look her boss wore.

"Yeah, Killer, c'mon in and sit down", Detective Adams replied. He was a man in his late forties. Everyone called Isabella 'Killer' for her fierce loyalty to her friends and people she held close. Her second-degree black belt in Mixed-Martial Arts didn't hurt her either. She was the WPD's personal pit bull. Isabella sat down on a chair and looked at her boss. She tried to swallow the nervousness and her eyes flicked around the room, fighting the urge to twirl her jet-black curls around her finger.

"I have bad news and good news", he said.

_'This is it', _she thought. _'I'm going to be fired and replaced with some bimbo who does half the work for twice the pay'_. Isabella knew she was a good cop, but she always had her doubts.

"The bad news is, Jay Maxwell escaped from prison in Raleigh last week", Adams said. Isabella stiffened in shock. She was the arresting officer on that case. Jay Maxwell, or 'The Angel of Death', had taken the lives of seven women. He'd explained the addiction of murder as 'an adrenaline rush'. He'd gotten addicted to the rush and brutally murdered his victims. She had been relieved to put him away, but the brutality of the case was forever embedded in her mind. Her heart sank when she had heard his name. Jay Maxwell had been beaten and tortured in college by a gang and had never been the same.

"What's the good news?" Isabella asked. She would ask questions on why she was just now finding out about this afterwards.

"The good news is, I just got off of the phone with the head of the crime lab in New York City. They had two murders matching Maxwell's MO and called us up after getting a case-to-case hit. I'm sending you to New York to catch this guy for good and bring him home. Detective Mac Taylor wants you to work with his team and had asked me to send one of my best CSIs out there. I gave him your name and he expects you in New York in two days", Adams replied. The nerves vanished from her insides immediately.

"I'll do my best, sir", Isabella said. Her skin tingled with anticipation. She was always given complicated and challenging cases because she was the only one in the lab who thrived on it. If someone had given her the choice of either staying in the nice, warm lab in the middle of winter or going out in the harsh cold, dealing with rude people and possibly getting sick or shot, she'd take the cold. She never took the easy way out, which had warmed her up to Adams.

"Go on home, Killer. I have arranged a flight for you and a hotel room. You leave tomorrow at noon", Adams replied. Isabella stood up, thanked him, and walked out. She was in a daze as she walked down the sidewalk towards her car.

_'I'm going to New York. Tomorrow. How am I going to do this?' _she thought as she got into her car. It was a gift from her uncle. A 1970 Chevy Camaro SS. Isabella and her twin brother, Ian had been raised by their mother and Uncle Tony their entire lives. Their father had walked out on them when they were born. Uncle Tony was her father's brother. Isabella pulled into the driveway of her childhood home and got out. She was immediately greeted by her uncle's Border Collie, Dallas. Isabella rubbed the dog's side before walking inside. Wrangler, Ian's dog nearly knocked her down. Isabella giggled and got back up, shoving down the overexcited Lab.

"Mama, I'm home. I got something to tell you", she called.

"Sa chistin, grá ", Marnie replied in her native tongue. Her mother was full-blooded first-generation Irish.

[In the kitchen, love]

Isabella walked into the kitchen and straddled a chair.

"So I have some news", she said, propping her chin on the back and looking up at her mother. Isabella was glad she looked like her mother. They both had the same jet-black hair, aqua eyes, petite frame, and a famous half-moon smile, as Uncle Tony called it. She'd never met her father, but she hated him for leaving them.

"Are they good news?" Marnie asked, swiping a lock of hair behind her ear. Isabella shrugged.

"Depends on how you take it", she replied.

"Well, what is it?" Marnie asked.

"I have to go to New York for my job", Isabella replied. Marnie's aqua eyes flashed with an unrecognizable emotion.

"What happened that would cause you to go to New York?" she asked.

"A killer escaped from prison. I was the arresting officer on the case, so they're sending me", Isabella replied. Marnie sighed, setting down her dish towel. She'd been washing dishes.

"How long will you be gone?" she asked. Isabella shrugged her reply.

"However long it takes to bring the guy home. Most likely a week or so", she replied.

"I want you to be safe, Izzy-éan ", Marnie said, kissing the top of her daughter's head. Izzy-éan or Izzy-'bird', had been her nickname since she was little.

"I'll be as safe as I can be in New York, Mama", Isabella replied. She stood up and went to pack her things. Tomorrow, she'd leave for New York and everything would change.


	2. Move Along

**_Disclaimer: I still don't own CSI: NY. But, boy if I did..._**

**_A/N: This entire story is dedicated to my sister, who is nice enough to let me use her computer to write this C: LOVE YOU! But also, I love writing this story. I hope you like reading it  
_**

* * *

_When all you gotta keep is strong_

_Move along; move along like I know you do_

_And even when your hope is gone_

_Move along move along_

_Just to make it through_

All-American Rejects – Move Along

* * *

Don Flack leaned back in his chair with a sigh. He had to wait on some new girl from some backwoods city in North Carolina that he couldn't remember the name of. In exactly one minute, she would be late.

'_Real professional_', he thought dryly. The doors to the precinct opened and a petite woman walked in. Her jet-black hair was pulled up into a ponytail and he watched as she looked around the room with wide eyes. She was very pretty, he noticed. She had fair skin, almost porcelain pale and a pretty smile, it reminded him of a half-moon.

"Uh, excuse me, I'm looking for Detective Flack, can you help me, sir?" she said. She had a prominent Southern accent. The first thing he noticed when he looked at her up close was a pair of shockingly colored aqua eyes. He wondered briefly if they were contacts.

"That's me", Don replied, standing up. The woman shook his hand.

"I'm Detective Pacino, from the crime lab in Wilmington", she said. He tried to keep his eyebrows from raising at her name. Pacino. He wondered briefly if she was related to the Shadow's Blade's leader, Armando Pacino Jr.

"Nice to meet you. C'mon, we got another body", he replied. Pacino nodded and walked with him out to the department-issued Buick. When they pulled up to the scene of the murder, a brownstone on the Upper East side, they both got out and walked in. The stench of death was something Don had never and would never get used to, same with particularly brutal murders, like the one this 'Angel of Death' was doing. Blood was smeared all over the walls, on the carpet, on the furniture, and a message was written on a mirror on a mantle in blood: 'Mors nihil est te angustus datura'. Nothing could have prepared Don for the sight of the victim. Blood was everywhere and her lips were sewn shut. Her eyes were sewn open.

"Death won't hold you as tight as she will", Pacino said softly. She gloved up and pointed to the mirror. He must have had a very confused look on his face, because her next reply made him feel dumb.

"It's Latin", she explained. He nodded, understanding.

"Our victim's name is Virginia Masters, 32 years old. Married to big-shot lawyer Kent Masters and works as a receptionist at his firm", he said. He saw Detective Pacino bend down next to the body, examining it with a very concentrated look on her face.

"Yeah, this is an AOD victim. See how slender the wound tract is?" she said, gesturing to a hole in the woman's neck. He bent down next to the body as well to get a closer look. It almost looked like a bullet hole, but smaller.

"Something very sharp made that. Last time, it was the lance broken off of a figurine. Who knows what improvised weapon he's decided to use this time", she continued.

"This guy is sick", Don replied. Pacino nodded in agreement. They were interrupted when Don heard a shriek and running footsteps.

"That's my mother!" a female voice hollered. A girl in her preteens stood outside the tape, demanding to be let in. Her red waves hung in her face and she had glasses.

"Ma'am, this is a crime scene, you're going to have to wait outside", Don said, standing up.

"I want to see her. Now!" the girl said, setting her jaw. Pacino stood up.

"I understand you want to see your mother, but this isn't the kind of memory you want of her", she said to the girl in a gentle voice. The girl glared at Detective Pacino.

"I don't care about memories. I want to see her. Now", she snapped. Don watched in amusement as Pacino tried to keep her composure. Not easy, he was sure.

"What is your name, sweetie?" she asked.

"Victoria Masters. Who're you?" the girl demanded.

"I'm Detective Isabella Pacino, crime scene investigator", Pacino replied. So Isabella was her name.

"Oh great, my mom gets killed and gangbangers work her case! Just freaking great!" Victoria yelled.

"I'm sorry for your loss, but when we bring out the body, you may see her then", Isabella replied. Her jaw set and she looked sternly at the girl. Victoria shrank back, glaring balefully at Isabella as she left.

"Nice composure", Don commented. Isabella rolled her eyes.

"My mother would've smacked me if I'd talked to anyone like that. Man, I hate working cases with rich people", she said. She muttered something in another language and Don recognized it immediately. She spoke Gaelic.

"Bheadh mo mháthair smack a ró- ", she had said.

[My mother would smack her too]

"Labhraíonn tú Gaeilge? " Don asked in surprise. Isabella nodded.

[You speak Gaelic?]

"My mother is Irish. I also speak Latin, Italian, Spanish, and French", she replied. Working a case with her just became more and more interesting...

* * *

CSI:NY CSI:NY CSI:NY

Don showed Isabella to the lab where she could run tests. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket as it rang. He flipped it open.

"Flack", he said. It was one of his detectives, Elizabeth Sawyer.

"Hey, Don, we got a call from the tip hotline. Someone saw a man matching Jay Maxwell's description, you gotta act fast", Elizabeth said.

"Thanks, Liz. I'll scoop up the borrowed field mouse and we'll be on our way", Don replied. He hung up.

"Hey, Pacino, we got someone saying they saw Maxwell, we gotta roll", he called into the lab.

"On it", Isabella said. She walked out of the AV lab with him. Time to get this guy for good.


	3. Dangerous

A/N: I love updating this story, this might be my last update for a while :c

* * *

_Watch out, I've seen her type before_

_That girl is so dangerous_

_That girl is so dangerous_

_That girl is a bad girl _

_I've seen her type before_

_She's so dangerous_

_That girl is so dangerous_

_That girl is a bad girl, yeah  
_

_I see you've got that fire _

_By the way that you're walkin'_

Akon –Dangerous

* * *

Isabella followed Flack out to the park where someone had allegedly seen Jay Maxwell. She drew in a breath when she recognized a tall figure with shaggy brown hair. It was Thomas Maxwell, Jay's brother.

"That's Thomas Maxwell. He's Jay's brother", she said to Flack. He nodded. They both started walking slowly up to him. The lab had traced the call back to Thomas' phone, he'd called it in. He was either helping his brother kill, or trying to get him off the streets.

"Thomas Maxwell, I'm Detective Flack. You already know Detective Pacino", Flack said to Thomas. He looked at Isabella before decking Flack and knocking over Isabella. He started to run. Isabella tumbled to the ground before she got back up and ran after him. She got within arm's length and jumped for him. She tackled his back and knocked him down. Thomas threw a punch, nailing Isabella in the jaw. Isabella punched back, straddling his stomach. She rolled him onto his stomach and slapped a pair of handcuffs on him.

"You're in an awful lot of trouble, Tommy boy", she growled in his ear as she shoved him to his feet. He writhed against Isabella's grip.

"Man, I did not see that coming", Flack said, touching his lip to check for blood.

"He's a regular schoolboy saint, ain't he?" Isabella replied, pushing Thomas into the car. She slammed the door.

"You alright?" she asked Flack. He nodded.

"Yeah, you?" he said. She nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be fine", she replied with a wave of her hand. She dusted off her jeans, cursing inwardly at the rip in the knee. A button had popped off the top of her shirt.

"Damn Thomas. I swear, Tractor Supply makes better quality shirts", she muttered.

"Nice job taking him down, by the way", Flack said after they were in the car.

"Hm? Oh, thanks", Isabella replied.

"You into self-defense?" he asked.

"I'm a second-degree black belt in Mixed-Martial Arts", Isabella replied. Flack's eyebrows rose.

"Oh damn. I'd hate to see your punching bag", he said, amusement laced in his voice.

"Actually, I use a practice dummy. Punching bags fly off the hook too much", Isabella replied.

"I have to admit, I'm slightly intimidated by you now", Flack said. Isabella chuckled.

"It's great cardio", she replied.

"You're a dangerous woman, Detective Pacino", he said.

"They don't call me 'Killer' for nothing", she replied with a smirk.

"Why _do_ they call you 'Killer'?" Flack asked. It was clear he was amused that someone of Isabella's size was so tough.

"I'm the Wilmington Police Department's personal 'pit bull', is what the papers call me. My first day on the job, I took down a professional wrestler trying to get away from questioning", she replied.

"Okay, I'm very intimidated now", Flack said. Isabella let out a full-blown laugh.

"You'll be fine as long as you don't get on my bad side", she replied. A familiar song came on the radio. 'Dangerous' by Akon. It fit.

* * *

CSI:NY CSI: NY CSI: NY

"Detective Taylor, mind if I do this one? I know how to make him crack", Isabella said. Mac nodded and opened the door for her. Isabella smiled and sat down at a chair where Thomas Maxwell sat across from her, his feet up and wearing a very relaxed look on his smug face. He wasn't worried about this at all.

"Get your feet off the table, please. It's not polite", Isabella said, folding her hands and crossing her legs. She was still annoyed at her jeans getting ripped and the button coming off of her shirt. Thomas gave her a dark look, obviously not going to listen.

"That wasn't a request", she said darkly. She gave him a hard stare until he very slowly put his feet down.

"What do you want with me?" Thomas asked.

"It's funny, we received a call to the tip hotline about some information based on your brother, Jay. Some very smart people down at the lab traced the call and got your number from it, Thomas. Care to explain?" Isabella said conversationally, as though Thomas was an old friend.

"Piss off, cow. I ain't seen my brother in two years. Those smart dopes at your little lab must've gotten the wrong number", Thomas sneered. Isabella was tired of uncooperative people. She tried her usual technique of staring them down to get them to confess. She gave him a bright smile and leaned back in her chair.

"Maybe you did see him, you just might not have recognized him. He grew quite a beard, gained quite a bit of weight", she said. She was lying through her teeth, trying to get him to confess. He stared at her, clearly trying to not talk.

"Jay hates beards", Thomas replied.

"People change when they're in the Big House, Thomas. Jay could've gotten himself a nice bushy beard", Isabella replied, leaning forward on her elbows. He glared at her.

"We already have you for assaulting two officers. We can get you for obstruction of justice. You know what a madman your brother is and now you're hiding him. He needs help, Thomas", she said, switching tactics. The stare didn't work, which unnerved her. She may have had her mother's eyes, but the burning intensity was all Daddy dearest's.

"He needs his brother, Pacino. Let's say your brother killed a man. Would you turn him over to the cops? Or would you try to help him?" Thomas asked. Isabella was stunned. She couldn't answer without squeaking.

"Well, first thing I would do is get him help. I would put aside my own selfish needs and wants for the betterment of my brother", she replied smoothly. Not a squeak in her tone.

'_Thank you, Daddy'_, she thought. Her mother was a horrible liar.

"You say that now, but it's a whole other story when it happens to you. Jay should not have gone through what he went through that night in college", Thomas said, his eyes narrowing.

"No one should have, but he did. He can get help for it, but he still needs to pay for his crimes", Isabella replied. She didn't have the jurisdiction to cut Thomas a deal. That was up to Flack, Sinclair, and the DA.

"If I give up my brother, what will happen to him?" Thomas asked. Isabella had worn him down.

"He will most likely go through a psychiatric evaluation, to see if he's competent to stand trial a second time. If he's criminally insane, he'll go to an institution. If he's not, he'll go to maximum-security prison", she replied. She wanted to tell him straight.

"He'll kill me if I tell you. He's already said he would", Thomas pleaded.

"We can arrange you protection, but we still have to hold you on assault charges", Isabella replied. It was the best she could do.

"I want a lawyer", Thomas said. Isabella smiled.

"Of course you do", she replied. She gave Flack a lazy look.

"Find this gentleman a real good public defender, will you sugar?" she drawled.


	4. Thanks For the Memories

**A/N: So now Buster is in her happy place: She has strawberries, Nutella, and inspiration. Life is good. Hope you enjoy this chapter! Devoneigh is pronounced Day-von-ee.**

* * *

_One night and one more time_

_Thanks for the memories_

_Even though they weren't so great_

_'He tastes like you only sweeter'_

Fall Out Boy — Thanks For The Memories

* * *

Don walked out of the precinct, a bit more relaxed. He was off duty for the night and didn't have to go into work until tomorrow afternoon. He stopped by his apartment to change clothes and headed to Box Art, a cop bar in Washington Heights. He opened the door and saw a guy hovering over a tall blonde woman. The woman was giggling uncontrollably as the guy kissed her neck. Don looked at the woman's legs and recognized them instantly as his eyes traveled up the woman's body to her face. His girlfriend, Devoneigh Cavaunagh. He recognized the guy as he got closer. Jefferey Ariel, one of his uniform officers.

"What the hell?" Don said loudly. The two broke away and Devoneigh's big brown eyes widened.

"Donnie, this isn't what it looks like!" she said. Ariel looked at Don.

"Whoa, sorry man, was she yours?" he asked. Don could smell the alcohol on him twelve feet away. He glared at his supposed 'teammate'.

"She was", he replied sourly as he walked out. He heard someone stumble after him.

"Detective Ariel just swept me off my feet!" Devoneigh slurred. Don let out a sour chuckle.

"Detective Ariel? I got news for you, Devoneigh: He's a uniform. He's _Officer_ Ariel", he spat before leaving her on the sidewalk. He went back to his apartment and flopped on the couch. His phone rang.

"Flack", he sighed.

"Yo, Flack, it's Messer. C'mon over; Lindsay's out with Lucy and there's a game on", a familiar Staten Island voice replied on the other line. Danny Messer, his best friend.

"I've had a rough night, Danno, I dunno if that's a good idea", Don said.

"Well, if it's Devoneigh Cavaunagh troubles, then some beer and Giants kicking the Panthers' ass will get your mind off it", Danny replied. There was some truth to his idea.

"Think the new girl's into football?" Don asked out of nowhere. He wasn't even sure where that came from.

"Eh, I dunno. But anyhoo, get your ass over here", Danny replied. Don was already walking out of his apartment on the way to the Messers'. After walking about fifteen minutes, he collided with someone hard enough to knock them off of their feet.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" a woman apologized. Don slightly recognized her Southern accent.

"It's alright, not your fault", he replied, helping her up. The dim streetlights illuminated the woman's face and Don recognized Isabella Pacino.

"Oh hey, Flack, I didn't see you", she said, rubbing the back of her neck. Her striking aqua eyes were sparkling with embarrassment.

"It's okay, I didn't see you either", Don replied, slightly amused.

"Where you headed?" he asked.

"Oh, I just stepped out to go to Waffle House. I feel so out of place at the restaurant in the hotel I'm stayin' at", Isabella replied. From the look of awestruck wonder on her face, he could tell she felt very out of place in at times confusing New York. Don found himself drawn to her Southern accent. It was very different from the accents he heard everyday.

"Where are you staying at?" Don asked.

"Someplace called The Stay-Easy Hotel", Isabella replied. He recognized the hotel name.

"The Stay-Easy? Yeah, that place is massive", Don said. The corner of Isabella's mouth twitched.

"It really is. All this time, I'm expectin' Holiday-Inn and here I am, in a real fancy place", she replied. Don looked at his watch.

"Well, I have to go now, but I'll see you at work tomorrow", he said.

"See ya. Sorry for knockin' into you", Isabella said, her lips curving into a slow smile. It wasn't the pretty half-moon smile she'd flashed earlier, but it was still adorable.

"Sorry for knocking you down, Rocky", he replied, walking off.

'_Did I _really _just call her Rocky? What kind of moron am I?_' he berated himself. He pressed the call button to Danny and Lindsay's apartment.

"Hey, Flack, c'mon up", Danny called. Don opened the door and took the elevator up to the sixth floor. The familiar walk to the 6B apartment was brief. He opened the door.

"C'mon, Carolina is stomping us", Danny said from the couch. Don flopped down next to his friend, watching the many players tackling each other.

"Man, we're getting slaughtered", he replied, leaning forward. Panthers were beating the Giants 7-0.

"So far, we've gotten penalized twice for 'unnecessary roughness'", Danny said, rolling his eyes and curling his fingers sarcastically for air quotes.

"Man, way to go, Blackburn", Don muttered. He cracked a can of beer and chugged it.

"So what happened with Devoneigh?" Danny asked.

"Eh, she cheated on me. With Ariel", Don replied bitterly.

"Damn, that sucks. You two were a thing for like a month", Danny said, clapping his friend on the back.

"Oh well, it's done with now", Don replied. He chugged another beer, soaking the effects of the alcohol. They sat in silence for the rest of the game until the door opened and Lindsay stepped in, holding a sleeping toddler in her arms.

"Who's winning?" Lindsay stage-whispered.

"Panthers. We've only scored one touchdown", Danny replied.

"That sucks. I just got off the phone with the new girl, she's been giving me updates. She's really mad that her team is losing", Lindsay said after putting Lucy down.

"New girl's into football too?" Danny said. He gave Lindsay a knowing look, causing his wife to giggle.

"Yeah, she is. I hope we can stay in touch, I like her. She's funny and real", Lindsay replied.

"Then there's that whole thing that country girls stay together?" Danny said.

"Yes, yes we do", Lindsay replied, picking up a chip and walking out of the room. The game was over now. All three of their phones beeped.

"Oh, we have another body", Lindsay said first. There was a body at the Stay-Easy Hotel.

"Wait, Pacino's staying at the Stay-Easy. I ran into her on my way here", Don said. Everyone looked at each other. Don and Danny bolted for the door.

* * *

**A/N 2: Okay, so I got to upload a chapter C: I'm so thankful for both of my reviews! I hope you continue to read and enjoy.  
**


	5. Forgive

_**A/N: I know, I left a cliffie C: I've been putting a lot into this story and I hope everyone likes it! I finally have more inspiration for this, and hopefully more time to write and update. By the way, AOD stands for 'Angel of Death'.  
**_

* * *

_Forgive_

_Well, that's a mighty big word_

_For such a small man_

_And I'm not sure I can_

_'Cause I don't even know now_

_Who I am_

_It's too soon for me to say_

_Forgive_

_Ooh, it's too soon for me to say_

_Forgive_

Rebecca Lynn Howard — Forgive_  
_

* * *

Isabella ran downstairs into the hotel room where the freshest AOD body was. She silently cursed at herself for not catching him.

"Well, aren't you just a Little Merry Sunshine?" a uniform cracked a joke.

"I can hurt you", Isabella snapped. She was still berating herself over this. Her recklessness caused a hotel guest to lose her life. She bent down to look at the woman. She was petite, about five feet two inches, with dark brown hair. Blood pooled from the wound in her jugular. A stray smear was on the carpet, six feet from the body.

"Alright, Pacino, what do we have?" Mac Taylor asked. Isabella's gut twinged with guilt.

"Her name's Jenny Vernon, 27 years old. Works as a secretary out on 11th street", she replied. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, this isn't your fault. Not unless you tracked him down, dragged him here, and threatened to shoot him if he didn't kill her", Mac said.

"I had his brother in custody, he almost cracked then he just shut down. He's still at large and he's taunting me. My hotel room is literally one floor up from this room. He was literally under my nose, and now he's in the wind", Isabella replied in a harsh voice. She clenched her fists, standing up. Now this was personal.

"Hey, nice jammies, Pacino", she heard someone tease as he walked in. It was Flack. Isabella looked down and saw she was still in her pajamas, a pair of shorts and an Aerosmith T-shirt. Half of her 'ribelle ' tattoo peeked out from under the hem of her shorts. She'd gotten tattoos of her heritage: Half of the Italian flag, half of the Irish flag in the middle of her back. 'Ribelle' meant 'rebel' in Italian. 'Mharú' or 'Killer' was tattooed on her shoulder.

"What's that mean?" an officer asked, pointing to 'ribelle' on Isabella's leg.

"Hold on, I'll get dressed really quick . People are starting to talk about my tats", Isabella said to Mac with a wry smile. She was proud of her Irish heritage.

"Alright, I figured you might need a minute", Mac replied with a chuckle. Cheeks burning, Isabella went into her hotel room to get her clothes on. It was weird to know everyone was right under her feet. After pulling on a pair of jeans and her usual button-down shirt, she shoved her feet back into her Converses and walked back into the crime scene, winding her hair back into a low dancer's bun.

"How many tats you got?" the officer asked, winking at Isabella.

"None that you will ever see", she replied, swabbing the stray smear and put a drop of lethanol on the cotton swab. It turned bright pink.

"We got blood", she called. She swabbed it again for trace and slid it into an envelope, muttering under her breath.

"Alright, we'll get it sent back to the lab. COD is apparently sharp force trauma due to a stab wound in the jugular vein. I'd put TOD around two, maybe three hours ago", Hawkes replied. She nodded to him and stood up.

"Hey, Flack, did we get surveillance tapes for this floor?" Isabella asked. Flack nodded.

"Yeah, couple of my guys are on it. Several witnesses say they saw the victim with a guy wearing sunglasses going into the room, but they didn't get a good look at him", he replied. Isabella clenched her fists.

"We're going to get this guy, alright? Don't beat yourself up", Flack said.

"Well, my night is going swell. First, Panthers stomp the Giants again, the next, a murder happens right under my nose. Then I forget to put on proper clothes to a crime scene", she replied. He gave her a cheesy smile.

"Hey, the forces of evil never sleep", he said. Isabella rolled her eyes and put the envelope in her kit.

"Therefore, I must fight crime in my pajamas?" she said.

"Exactly", Flack replied. Isabella dusted the bedpost for prints and pulled them up.

"So far, I've been at this for an hour. If I was an insomniac before, I sure as hell ain't now", she muttered.

"Go on up and sleep. If we need you, I'll send Danny upstairs to get you", Mac said. Isabella nodded gratefully at Mac and walked upstairs. She unlocked her room and saw someone sitting on her bed. She pulled out her piece and slowly raised it.

"Who's there?" she called. The person stood up and turned on the lamp. He looked like Uncle Tony and Ian, but older and harsher.

"Who the hell are you?" she demanded.

"Isabella", the man said softly. It hit Isabella like a ton of bricks. The man in her hotel room was her father, Armando Pacino.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing. Her heart was racing like a hyperactive horse as she looked at the man sitting down, looking up at her like she was an unexpected guest.

"I heard you were in town. I wanted to see you", her father replied politely in an Italian accent. He blinked his large dark chocolate brown eyes. He looked too much like Ian. Same black hair, same eye-shape, same smirk, same jaw-set, toss of the head. He wore a black button down shirt, dark jeans, and cowboy boots. Her father was handsome for his age, she noticed.

"So you decided to break into my hotel room?" she said, incredulous.

"It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be", he replied.

"You're a Mafia crime lord. Nothing's too hard for you!" Isabella snapped coldly.

"Touche", he replied, not breaking his cool. It was infuriating. She wanted to make her father feel all the hurt she'd felt over the entire course of her life. She hated a man she never met with every fiber of her being.

"Can you ever forgive me for what I've done?" he asked suddenly. Isabella's blood boiled and it took every ounce of self-control to not punch him in the mouth for even thinking of asking her for forgiveness.

"Such a mighty big word for such a small man", she retorted.

"Here, let me show you the door. I've been up since four o'clock yesterday morning, got off at eight, had to go on scene at two. It's three thirty in the morning currently", she said, slamming her badge onto the table and walking towards the door. Armando set a card next to her badge and quietly went to the door after his daughter.

"I want to know the daughter I left behind. Deep down, Isabella, you want to know me too. Give me a call before you leave town", he said, kissing her forehead and leaving the room. Flack stood on the other side, his knuckles raised and about to knock.

"Mac sent me up to get you, we need to run something by you", he said, not taking his eyes off of Armando. Both men were locking eyes and a silent threat passed between them.

"I'll be in touch, Isabella", Armando said, sliding past Flack and walking away briskly.

"Where were you about fifteen minutes ago?" Isabella joked, trying to slow her racing pulse.

"I didn't even know Armando Pacino had a daughter; I can see the resemblance", Flack said, looking from Isabella to her retreating father. He'd connected the dots.

"Do me a solid and don't ever say that again", Isabella snapped, walking the other way to the stairs. She didn't want to share an elevator with her father. Hell, she didn't even want to share DNA with the man.

"You didn't get to sleep, did you?" Flack said. Isabella shook her head.

"And don't tell anyone about this or I will personally kick your ass and make you beg for mercy", she threatened.

"Don't worry, it's not like they'd believe me", he assured her.

* * *

**_A/N2: Okay, so I hope you liked this...it took me three tries to write this out. The first was that Isabella forgave her father and was dying to know more, but that would make my OC OOC lol. That simply would not do. The second one was her thawed heart, but then that wouldn't do either. This one sounds more like Isabella, so I hope you like it c:_**

**_Peace out,_**

**_Buster Quarantine  
_**


	6. Let It Go

**_A/N: I worked hard on the previous chapter, this one might be one of my better ones, we'll see C: I hope you like! By the way, I'm picking lines from songs by the band Atreyu  
_**

**_Disclaimer: C'mon, do I have to post this all the time? We all know I don't own anyone except Isabella and her family 8D_**

* * *

_Fade it out into the light_

_All these years_

_We'll never get it right_

_I need to let it go_

_I need to let it go_

_I need to let it go_

_No more reasons to deny_

_That I believed that you were mine_

_I need to let it go_

_I need to let it go_

_I need to let it go_

_I wish you'd let me go_

Cavo — Let It Go_  
_

* * *

Don led Isabella back up to the room. Mac pointed to the bloody scrawl on the bathroom mirror.

"Vis me tenuerunt cum quid feci. Latin. 'Will you still hold me when you see what I have done?'" he said. Isabella nodded.

"It's part of his MO. I never know what the lines mean, but apparently, they're of some great importance to him. He draws them with his finger on random surfaces. At the brownstone in the Upper East side, it was written on a mirror on a mantle, this time it was written on a bathroom mirror. The mirror at the brownstone read 'Death won't hold you as tight as she will'", she replied. Don wanted to know about Armando, he was a Mafia leader, but seemed to keep things down. Seemingly in the business of retaliation.

"Jay Maxwell has changed his appearance and kept out of sight of the cameras. We've got major trouble with him that does not seem to be going away soon", he said.

"Jay Maxwell is major trouble. He needs psychiatric help, but his brother doesn't seem to be talkin'", Isabella agreed. She crossed her arms, surveying the scene. She was the only one of them all who would know what was out of place.

"He switches his murder weapons", Mac said. The body of Jenny Vernon had been moved to the ME's office.

"So he can't be traced. He picked a murder weapon this time that disposes of itself", Isabella replied. Everyone jumped a bit at the sound of loud banging on the door.

"Someone let me in, my daughter was in there!" a male voice yelled. Isabella looked at Don, a slightly confused look on her face. The trio walked out to see a tall man in his early forties jumping against the uniforms.

"Sir, this is a crime scene", Don called. He wasn't about to let someone contaminate their progress. Isabella walked up, her hands up.

"Whoa there, pal. This is a crime scene, you can't be here", she said.

"What happened to my daughter? What happened to my Jenny?" the man asked desperately. Isabella's eyes were soft.

"If you'll meet me outside of the room, I will explain what is going on", she said. The young CSI followed the man out.

"I'll just be a minute", she called. Don nodded.

"It'll be a shame to see her go. She's a good cop", Mac noted, pulling a print off of the mirror.

"Yeah, she's good", he agreed. The door opened and Isabella walked back in, shaking her head.

"I really hate that part. Telling victims' families they're not gonna see their loved ones anymore", she said. Her aqua eyes seemed haunted.

"Hey, we'll take it from here if you want to sleep. You've had a very long night", Mac suggested. She shook her head.

"This is actually helping. I may take you up on that offer of sleep later, though", she replied. Don leaned against the doorway.

"I'm off now, if it's cool. O'Reilly should be here soon, though", he said, pointing with his thumb to the door.

"See you later, Flack", Isabella said, snapping a picture of the mirror.

"Have a good night, Don", Mac added. Don turned and walked out, feeling exhaustion wash over him. The subway ride to his apartment in Brooklyn almost caused him to fall asleep on his feet. He'd been on the clock for thirty-six hours. Jumbling the key into his lock, he finally prized the door open and collapsed on his bed, fully clothed.

Dreams came swiftly, all about the same person. Jess. The third anniversary of her death was coming soon and it haunted him as per usual. Yet, the events of that day weren't the dream. He and Jess were sitting in chairs, facing each other. Everything was blank around them, it was just the two of them in the chairs. It was hard to believe this was a dream. Jess' face was so clear, so realistic. In other dreams, she appeared like a flash, then everything was blank. Never before had Don seen Jess so plainly as she was when she was alive.

"So, I hear you're not moving on", Jess said, sitting cross-legged in the chair and looking at him.

"I'm trying", Don protested.

"No, you're not", she replied matter-of-factly. Her big brown eyes fixed on him and he knew she was right. He hadn't been trying.

"I don't have an excuse", he admitted.

"Good, because you would've come up with a crap one anyways. We loved each other and I want you to be happy. I can't be happy until you are truly happy", she replied, leaning forward so they were inches apart.

"Then who do you have planned for me?" Don asked, annoyed.

"I can't tell you, because it takes all the fun out of falling in love! All I can tell you, is you've already met the perfect woman for you and you need to open your mind and heart to her", Jess replied, faking an ominous tone. He gave her a look.

"Okay, sorry sorry. But how do I already know her? Is it Devoneigh?" he asked.

"God, no! But being a guardian angel is fun. I just sort of exposed her true self to you", she replied with a smile. She patted his knee and stood up.

"I know I just got here, but I have to leave. Duty calls", she said. Don reached over to kiss her but she pressed a finger to his lips.

"Ah ah ah! You're supposed to be moving on. I'll always be with you, and I'll always love you. You'll never get over this, I know that, but you'll find a way to get through it. You're not completely through it yet", she said. She vanished quickly and Don jolted awake. The sun was shining through the window and the clock read eleven am.

'_Wow, I didn't sleep as late as I thought. I got in around four, so I only had about seven hours of sleep'_, he thought. But he'd never felt more rested. It was time to get up and get his day started.


	7. Sound of Madness

**_A/N: I'm glad people are getting into this story! I really hope this story catches on _**

**_Disclaimer: We've gone through this numerous times...I do not own anything recognizable from the series. I do, however, own whatever is unrecognizable._**

* * *

_I've created the sound of madness_

_Wrote the book on pain_

_Somehow I'm still here _

_To explain_

_That the darkest hour_

_Never comes in the night_

_You can sleep with a gun_

_When you gonna wake up_

_And fight for yourself?_

Shinedown — Sound of Madness_  
_

* * *

Isabella shot up, thinking she was in the bed at the hotel. She took in the surroundings around her and saw she was in the lab in the break room on the couch. She rubbed her eyes and stretched.

"Good morning, sunshine", a very amused voice said. Isabella looked up and saw Jo, the second-in-command.

"G'mornin', Jo", she replied with an embarrassed smile. She stood up and folded the blanket.

"Ready to work? I got some coffee for you", Jo offered. Isabella took it with a soft 'thank you' and took a sip. The scalding, bitter taste slid down her throat and she tried not to make a face. She hated coffee, but around the New York Crime Lab, it was a necessity.

"Okay, so Mac just got off the phone with the FBI. They're on their way here to see you. I just wanted to warn you, because the Wicked Witch of the East Coast is coming with them", Jo said in a low voice. Isabella appraised her wrinkled top and groaned.

"Oh man, I hate the FBI", she sighed. She snapped to attention when she realized what she'd said.

"Well, not you. You're too cool, Jo", she rephrased quickly with a blush.

"Yeah, I know what you meant. Agent Sheila Archer is coming and watch out, she's a real witch", Jo replied, nudging her. Isabella felt her blood boil. She knew Sheila Archer back when she was a field CSI with the WPD. The two women hated each other with a fiery passion.

"Yeah, I know Archer. She used to be a CSI back in Wilmington. She's not the Wicked Witch of the East Coast, she's the Wicked _Bitch_ of the East Coast", she said, crossing her arms. That caused the Virginian native to laugh heartily.

"I heard about that", she replied, nodding.

"I'm gonna warn you, Jo; tempers will rise when I see Sheila and I'm not giving up this case. The feds will have to pry it from my cold, dead fingers", Isabella said. She was stubborn about the Angel of Death case; this was _her_ case and she wasn't going to give it up. FBI had taken many, many cases from her before and she wasn't about to let them finish what she'd started. They walked from the break room and she went straight to the Trace lab to get her lab coat. She was examining a piece of paper when she felt someone behind her.

"Detective Isabella Pacino", a familiar female voice said from the doorway. Isabella hesitated before answering.

"Yes, Satan?" she replied, before turning around. The smug look vanished from Sheila Archer's face.

"Whoops, my bad, Sheba! I thought you were someone else", Isabella faux-apologized. She knew her former co-worker hated being called 'Sheba'.

"Looks like you ain't changed a bit, blue collar", Sheila sneered.

"I do what I can", Isabella replied modestly with a fake smile. She turned when someone cleared their throat. She looked up and saw Flack.

"Hey, we got another body. You ready to roll?" he asked. She walked over to him and gave him her famous half-moon smile.

"Lead the way", she replied. Her eyes flicked over to Sheila, who had widened her eyes at the sight of Detective Flack. She clearly thought the homicide detective was attractive, which sent a flash of annoyance through her veins.

"Oh, bless your heart, we'll just have to catch up later, won't we?" Isabella said, widening her eyes. Sheila glared at her. A look passed between the two women that could only mean one thing.

'_Game on, bitch_'.

* * *

"So how do you know Agent Archer?" Flack asked once they were in the car. Isabella laughed.

"We used to work together. Archer used to be a CSI with the crime lab back home", she replied.

"You two get along?" he asked. She shook her head, rolling her eyes.

"Never did. We would pull such pranks on each other", she replied.

"You prank?" Flack asked, clearly surprised.

"You kidding? I'm the undisputed queen of pranks", Isabella informed him with the left corner of her mouth twitching.

"That's dangerous territory, Rocky. One might threaten that title", he replied as they pulled up to the scene. She got out and examined the body, frowning. They were in a park.

"Wait a minute. Who called this in?" she asked, looking up at Flack.

"Uh, some jogger", he replied, examining his book.

"This isn't an AOD victim", she said, bending down. The victim had the same lips-sewn-shut-and-eyes-sewn-open as the others, but the COD was different. The girl had been strangled, not stabbed. The MO was way off. Angel of Death victims were between the ages of 20-28. The victim before her had to be about seventeen. Jay Maxwell was always consistent, unless he had decided to change his MO slowly.

"Copycats are even more dangerous than the originals", Flack said, looking down at the girl. Isabella rolled the girl's body over, and looked for any sort of bloody writing. None.

"I agree. There's not even any writing like before", she replied, before laying her down again. She heard cars approaching and she looked up and saw the Avalanche pull up.

"Isabella, you got a call from the lab back home, Mac needs to talk to you", she heard Danny Messer call. She stood up with a nod and walked over to the truck, slightly bewildered. What could possibly be going on?

"Did you get the news this morning?" Mac asked her. Isabella tilted her head.

"No, I fell asleep. What happened?" she asked. She studied him carefully, trying to read his news. They weren't good news, she could tell.

"Detectives Adams and Bradley were arrested on drug charges yesterday. Apparently, a huge chunk of the lab was involved and they're shutting down the lab. They're investigating everyone, including you", he replied. She stiffened in shock.

"They think I'm involved? Mac, I put dealers and makers away for a living, why would I risk it all? I was a wild card to begin with!" she gasped. Oh man, this could ruin her career.

"About thirty lab techs and two members of your team were arrested for involvement", Mac said solemnly. She could tell he really hated to tell her this.

"Was Aria De Luca involved? Mac, I gotta know", Isabella pleaded.

"I'll take you back to the lab so we can talk properly about this", he replied, leading her into the truck.

"Lemme tell Flack that I'll be back later really quick, then I'm all yours", she said, gesturing to Mac to stay there.

"Sure thing, Isabella", he agreed. Isabella ran over to Flack, out of breath from how fast her heart was racing.

"Something came up. Can you and Danny handle this for a bit?" she asked, her eyes pleading for him not to argue.

"Sure, Rocky", he replied. His eyes were clouded with unspoken sympathy. He knew, she realized. Isabella turned on her heel and ran for the truck. This couldn't be happening...


	8. Crash and Burn

**_A/N: Time to give this story a little love. Haven't had a lot of time lately, so hope you like! _**

* * *

_If you need to fall apart_

_I can mend a broken heart_

_If you need to crash_

_Then crash and burn_

_You're not alone_

Savage Garden — Crash and Burn_  
_

* * *

Don watched Isabella go, feeling sorry for her. He shook his head and focused his attention on the victim.

"Man, I hope she's okay", he said aloud. Danny gave him a strange look.

"I meant Rocky. It has to be a blow that the people you've trusted with your life and your career get busted for drugs and now you're being called into question", he explained.

"Yeah. She's a tough woman though", his friend replied. Hawkes helped pull the body on the gurney and roll it away. Don got into his car and drove to the precinct where Isabella was being questioned. He liked the spunky, feisty southerner. One look at her, and anyone would pass her over because she was small. Second look, she'd prove you wrong. He respected the hell out of her. He got out and walked in, seeing Isabella sitting at a chair. She wiped her eyes and mustered a weak smile.

"Hey, Flack", she greeted him. He looked at her tear-stained face.

"You okay?" he asked. He instantly felt sorry for her. She shrugged.

"I've been cleared for the drugs, but the guy who was my mentor, my freaking _mentor_, was arrested for being involved. He tampered with evidence", she replied. He knew instantly how she felt. Don thought back to Officer Moran, the man who'd taken him in when he was just starting out as a cop.

"You may not believe me, but I know exactly how you feel on that. A few years ago, I had to arrest the guy who'd taken me in and mentored me. He even worked with my dad", he said. She looked up at him and wiped her eyes again. Man, this had really hit her hard.

"That sucks", she said, chuckling.

"Yeah, it did. He tampered with evidence, believe it or not. The guy was like a second dad to me", he replied.

"I'd known Adams since I was a teenager. He was the one who pulled the strings with the academy to let me in, they were going to reject me. Told them to give me a chance, that I might surprise them. I've spent every single day of my career trying to prove to everyone that I'm a good cop and I belong there", she said, pulling her knees to her chest. The precinct doors opened and one of the new detectives, Detective Frankie McElroy strolled in. Isabella's eyes snapped up and set on his face. She recognized him.

"McElroy?" she said. He looked down at her.

"Isabella Pacino! What are you doin' here, darlin'?" he said. She stood up and hugged him.

"I'm here on a case, I'm a CSI now", she replied.

"That right? You were always the smart one", he said. Isabella turned and looked at Don.

"Frankie was my partner back when we were unis", she explained, slightly smiling.

"So how's everyone back home?" Frankie asked.

"I don't want to talk about that", Isabella replied, shaking her head and sitting down again.

"Alright, well, gimme a call if you wanna talk, Bells. I'm always here", Frankie said. She looked up at him.

"Can I say it?" she asked with a tiny smile. He rolled his eyes.

"Go ahead", he replied.

"You're my pretty lady, McElroy", she said, the corners of her mouth twitching. Frankie kissed the top of her head.

"You're tough as asphalt, Killer. Whatever's got you down, you're gonna kick its ass", he replied.

"Thanks, Frankie", she said. She seemed lighter now.

"See ya later, Flack", Frankie said, nodding to Don and walking off.

* * *

FBI Agent Archer walked up, giving Isabella a sneer. It was always interesting how Isabella reacted to her, Don realized.

"So I heard you're under investigation for drugs", Sheila said. Isabella rolled her eyes.

"So are you. It all started a year before you left, dumbass", she replied. It was hard to believe the two women had once been co-workers. Mac came up to her.

"So I'd like to be the one to deliver the good news to you: You've still got a job and your record is still squeaky clean. Go on and finish up this case", he said. A big smile graced Isabella's features, her aqua eyes brightening instantly. There was that half-moon smile. She looked as if she were about to do a touchdown dance.

"Mac, that's amazing news! Thank you!" she replied.

"That's good, I almost had to work with Danny", Don teased. Isabella gave him a poke in the shoulder before walking off. Excitement was radiating off of her in waves, it was contagious.

"It's almost scary how clean her record actually is", Mac said, nodding to her. Don chuckled.

"I gotta get back to work", he replied, shaking his head.

* * *

**_A/N2: I wanted to kind of establish something between Isabella and Don, because I'm sort of losing the fire for this story...get kind of a wind of understanding, so to speak. In all my eagerness, I really just want to throw them together, but patience is a virtue I currently lack T-T. _**


	9. Ready To Go

**_A/N: I have found inspiration! I have discovered that if I want to write this story, I have to have my iPod headphones in with music. Later on, I'll just disclose a playlist of songs that help me write. Savage Garden is one, so they're automatically on the list. I really love Isabella as an OC, she's probably one of my favorite OCs I've ever done like...ever. She's spunky and she gets stuff done, no problem. I find myself laughing when I write her supposedly funny lines. A lot of her sense of humor comes from my dad, he's got a very dry sense of humor. You'd have to be pretty quick-witted to get his jokes and that's how I wanted to make Isabella. Quick-witted and sarcastic with a dry sense of humor. So anyhoo, on with the story!_**

* * *

_So tell me right now, _  
_You think you're ready for it? _  
_I wanna know why you got me going _  
_So let's go, We'll take it out of here_  
_I think I'm ready to leap_

Panic! At the Disco — Ready To Go (Get Me Out Of My Mind) [Amazing song]_  
_

* * *

Isabella ran trace through GCMS, busily working like a bee. She had a lot of catching up to do, and she wasn't about to slack. Jo came in.

"You've been at this for seven hours, you sure you're not tired?" she asked. Isabella nodded, a lock of dark hair falling into her eyes from her carefully orchestrated bun.

"I have a lot of catching up to do, but thanks for asking", she replied a smile.

"Alright, Isa-bee. I'm heading out, be safe", Jo said with a wave. Isabella waved back. She liked Jo. She was unpretentious and had a good heart. After a bit, Adam came in.

"Jo sent me in here to help you out", he said. She gave him a smile.

"Thanks, Adam", she replied, blowing more locks of hair out of her face. She slid off her gloves and pinned the wayward waves from her face with a bobby pin. Adam slid an earphone in, flicking on an iPod he had hidden in his lab coat.

"What kind of music do you like?" Isabella asked, trying to make conversation. He held up his iPod. 'Let's Kill Tonight' by Panic! At the Disco was playing.

"Panic! At the Disco, I love them!" she gasped, her eyes widening. He gave her a shy smile.

"Yeah, they're awesome. What's your favorite?" he asked. She thought for a moment.

"Nearly Witches, Ballad of Mona Lisa, or Ready To Go", she answered. She folded the shirt she was working on and slid it back into the bag, chewing on her lower lip. She was finished with trace as far as she could tell. She looked at her watch and raised her eyebrows. It was nearly two am.

"I'm gonna go grab something from the vending machines, you want anything?" she asked him. Adam looked kind of jumpy.

"Ah, no, I'm good, thanks", he replied. Isabella set down her iPod.

"You can look through it. I've got the new Panic! CD on there, you might like it", she suggested before hanging up her lab coat and walking out of the Trace Lab. She walked to the stairwell and went to the floor below for the vending machines. Out of nowhere, grief crushed her and she leaned against the wall, tears streaming down her face. She sank onto the ground, letting herself cry it out.

"God, Pacino, you gotta get yourself together", she told herself, standing up and wiping her eyes. She was grateful that Flack, which she had found out his first name, Don, had listened to her. He'd even understood what she was going through. She continued her descent to the lower floor and faced the vending machines on the other side of the door. She selected a Monster and a bag of Doritos, her favorite snack foods for pulling an all-nighter. Feeling slightly guilty, she grabbed Adam a Monster and some chips and went back to the lab. She slipped the food into the crook of her arm as she scanned her ID and slipped in. She looked around and heard shuffling around in the lab. She chuckled and set down the food in the break room and went to see the hullabaloo.

"Adam?" she called, reaching onto her toes to look for her curly-haired partner in crime for the night. Isabella walked down the hall, looking through the labs to find him. She frowned. He was gone.

"Hey, Mac, have you seen Adam?" she asked, poking her head into Mac's office. He was asleep, which was odd. Mac never slept at the lab, much less on his desk. She concluded he'd crashed from a caffeine and sugar high and went back into the Trace lab where her iPod laid right where she'd left it. Adam was asleep on the floor, looking rather peaceful. That was even more unusual; Adam knew better than to sleep on the floor of the lab. Something was wrong. The shuffling. Isabella drew her gun, walking slowly down the hall. Someone was in the evidence locker in the lab, she realized. There were various lab techs, but they weren't around either. Isabella pulled out her phone and tried to think of who to call. Flack had mentioned earlier he was getting off at five am for a much-deserved day off.

"Flack", the now-familiar voice said into the phone. He sounded groggy and Isabella now felt guilty for calling.

"You're gonna think I sound paranoid, but something's wrong at the lab", she said.

"What do you think it is?" he asked, the sound of a stretch in his voice. He must have dozed off.

"I dunno, but everyone's asleep. I mean, everyone. There's no lab techs awake and running around, Adam passed out on the floor in Trace, Mac fell asleep at his desk", she replied.

"Wait, Mac's asleep too? I'm on my way", he said, hanging up. Now just to hold on until he reached the lab. Isabella stayed outside of the evidence locker room and poked her head in. Someone was definitely poking around where they shouldn't. She heard the elevator ding and minutes later, she heard someone calling her name. She slipped towards the elevators, holding a finger to her lips. They passed the sleeping Mac's office, Trace where Adam still lay, and lab techs littered the tables of AV, benches, and the floor. She lingered outside of the evidence room and nodded in. Don drew his gun as well, pointing it inside. He flipped on the lights and saw someone diving onto the floor.

"Stop, police!" Isabella said, pointing her gun at the suspect. It was Thomas Maxwell. She looked around the room. No canisters. She was sure he'd doused the place with sleeping gas. How he'd gotten into the lab, she didn't know. Thomas Maxwell stood up, holding his hands up.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded.

"Why the hell aren't you asleep?" he countered. She gave him a smirk.

"I'm impervious to sleeping gas", she said sarcastically and rolled her eyes. Don walked in.

"I think we've got him on breaking and entering, don't you think, Rocky?" he said, his frost-blue eyes glimmering with amusement. Her smirk evolved into a half-smile.

"Why, yes, I think we do", she agreed. Don turned Thomas around and cuffed him, shoving him out the door. A phone started chiming. Isabella let out a laugh as she recognized the ringtone. 'Umbrella'.

"Is that seriously Rihanna?" she asked as they went down.

"It's my sister, hold on, I gotta take this", he replied, nodding. He flipped the phone open and answered it. When the doors opened, Isabella nudged Thomas out of the elevator to give Don privacy. She set him into the cruiser and got into the passenger seat. She'd gotten the perp out and didn't endanger any lives. Don slid into the car.

"Sorry I got you up at such an ungodly hour, I didn't know who else to call. Mac was on his desk", she explained, looking at her lap.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm glad you called me instead of doing something reckless, like going in alone. That would've been bad", he replied with a shrug. They pulled out of the parking spot and drove down the street. It wasn't jam-packed like it was during the day, but it wasn't empty.

"This is more of the streets I'm used to", she said, looking out at the traffic.

"Wilmington doesn't get crowded?" he asked.

"I didn't say that. We get our share of crowds, but nothing like the city", she responded with a soft smile. She did miss Wilmington. Looking out at the bay and seeing the U.S.S. North Carolina and some other battleships from previous wars, going to the beach and sitting on the pier to listen to the waves. There was nothing like it.

"So what do you do on your days off back home?" Don asked. Isabella shrugged.

"Lots of stuff. The best thing about Wilmington has got to be the food. Rayer's Place is the best burger and hotdog joint ever", she replied, her mouth watering at the thought of the hotdogs her hometown was famous for.

"Lies. Steak Shack is the best burger and hotdog joint ever", he said, shaking his head.

"You say that because you haven't tried Rayer's. Philip Rayer is actually opening a store here in New York sometime this year. Trust me, Rayer's food is the best. He makes his own hotdogs", she replied, holding up a finger. He chuckled as they pulled up to the station. Don got out of the car and pulled Thomas out, walking him into the station. He came back out, empty-handed.

"Want me to run you back to your hotel?" he asked. Isabella shook her head.

"Can you run me back to the lab? I'm still clocked in", she replied. He nodded.

"Thanks for the ride, by the way", she said with a chuckle.

"Stop thanking me, really", he replied as they drove down the street.

"You kiddin'? Flack, I'm twenty-eight years old, and my mama still smacks me over the head if I don't say 'please' and 'thank you'. Manners have been drilled into my head", she said with a laugh.

"Lemme guess, with all the 'ma'am' and the 'sirs'?" he asked. They drove up to the lab and Isabella got out.

"See ya later, Flack", she called. He waved and drove off. Isabella swiped her ID card and let it take her to the 35th floor of the lab. She opened windows and let the breeze roll in. Slowly, she watched as everyone stood up, bewildered. Adam came out of the Trace lab, looking at her.

"You okay, Isabella? I can't believe I just fell asleep like that", he said, yawning. She smiled.

"It's okay. Where's Mac? I gotta talk to him", she asked. Adam pointed to Mac's office where he was groggily lifting his head. Isabella knocked on the door. He waved her in.

"What happened?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. She smiled.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, honestly", she replied.


	10. Diamond Eyes

**_A/N: So I might be on hiatus on 'Cross My Heart', no one really seems to like it anymore :c I keep getting such good ideas for this story, but they seem to go unnoticed... I've been waiting to work this song into the story though c:_**

* * *

_One push is all you'll need (Boom-lay boom-lay-boom)  
_

_A fist-first philosophy (boom-lay boom-lay-boom)_

_We watch with wounded eyes (boom-lay boom-lay boom)_

_So I hope you recognize_

_I'm on the front line_

_Don't worry I'll be fine_

_The story's just beginning_

_I say goodbye to my weakness_

_So long to regrets_

_And now I see the world_

_Through diamond eyes_

Shinedown — Diamond Eyes _  
_

* * *

Don stretched out on his bed before sitting up. The news that Thomas Maxwell was in prison for attempting to destroy evidence and breaking and entering was everywhere. There went their last hope of finding Jay. Luckily, no more bodies were piling up. His phone went off and he snatched it up.

"Flack", he said.

"Flack, they found Jay Maxwell, meet us at Thompson Square in twenty minutes", Mac said. Don jumped out of bed, pulling on jeans and a button-down shirt and raced for the door. There was no time to shower or brush his teeth, so he popped a mint in the car, pulling up to Thompson Square with a minute to spare. He jumped out, getting a Kevlar from Mac. He looked around for his little partner in crime.

"Where's Pacino?" he asked. He knew she would be there.

"She's getting a Kevlar right now", Mac replied. Soon enough, Isabella came back, dressed in a Kevlar.

"Let's do this", she said with a wide smile. Mac led the way until they reached the top floor. He pounded on the door.

"Jay Maxwell, NYPD, open up!" he said. No answer. He nodded to the uniforms and the door was kicked open. Everyone filed into the room, looking around. Don walked quietly into another room and looked around. A man was sitting on a chair, a very amused look on his face. He had a shaggy beard and cold, dead brown eyes with dark hair to match. Don poked his head to see if Isabella was nearby. She was the only one who could properly identify him. She was looking somewhere else.

"NYPD", Don said, pointing his gun. The man stood up, grunting.

"You're in my place", he said.

"Are you Jay Maxwell?" he asked. Officers flooded into the room. Isabella pointed her gun at him.

"That's him, Flack", she said. The man turned around and a bright smile crossed his features.

"The beautiful Isabella Pacino is on my case once again!" he said with sheer delight. Her eyes flashed.

"Put your hands behind your back, Maxwell. You're under arrest", she said. He chuckled and did as he was told. Isabella jerked his arms behind his back and cuffed him.

"You're under arrest for the murders of Jenny Vernon and Virginia Masters. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you do not have an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?" she said, leading him out of the apartment.

"Yes", Jay replied grimly. Don followed closely behind, keeping an eye on the pair. He helped Maxwell into the squad car and closed the door.

"Case closed, Detective", he said to Isabella. She smiled and got into the Buick.

"Hope you don't mind if I ride with you", she said, blushing lightly.

"I don't mind at all", he replied.

"What's the first thing you're gonna do when you get home?" he asked. She shrugged.

"Sleep, then go to Rayer's. Then I'll help my mom with the stay-home she opened", she replied.

"What's a stay-home?" he asked.

"A stay-home is another word for a boardinghouse, but stay-home sounds nicer and homier", she replied with a smile.

"You must have a pretty big house to have all that room", he commented.

"My dad gave my mom a lot of money to support me and my brother and herself, so we got an old hotel and converted it into a house. Ian and I are all grown up now and Mama loves taking care of people and entertaining guests, so she opened up the stay-home", she replied. They drove up to the precinct and got out. Isabella let out a deep breath.

"This nightmare's finally over", she said.

* * *

Isabella leaned against the seat of her rental car and sighed. She hated driving new cars, there was something about vintage cars that did it for her. She hated all the high-tech gizmos and stuff. The only thing she wanted in a car was: Functioning radio, heating and cooling units, running fine, and seat-belts. Her phone rang and she pressed the answer button on the steering wheel. Granted, she liked the new Camaro she had rented for her use in the city, and its convenient gadgets, and the total performance machine it was, but she missed her old Chevelle and its temperamental .

"Pacino", she said.

"Hey, I just wanted to ask when you're leaving", Don said.

"Anxious to get rid of me already, Flack?" she asked. It had been two days since they'd collared Jay Maxwell and she was heading home the day after tomorrow.

"Nah, just wanted to know if you were busy", he replied. She enjoyed the NYPD detective's company; they worked surprisingly well together.

"No, I am not", she said.

"Well, I was gonna grab a drink tonight if you wanted to join me", he suggested. Isabella nearly slammed her brakes and laid on the horn as she was cut off by another car.

"Watch where you're driving, ass clown!" she yelled, completely forgetting she had Flack on the phone.

"See? A week and a half in New York and you're one of us!" he said. She clapped her hand over her mouth.

"Sorry 'bout that, some guy cut me off and my road rage came out", she apologized.

"It's okay", he told her.

"But you said something about drinks, right?" she said. Just to make sure.

"Yeah, you free?" he asked.

"Sure, name the time and place", she agreed.

"I'll swing by your room around seven. That cool?" he asked. She chuckled.

"Sure, seven sounds good", she agreed.


	11. Chain Reaction

**_A/N: I kind of left the story on a cliffhanger, and I kept thinking about it...I don't want to spoil the story, but Isabella is going back to Wilmington, but do not fret, my readers! This story will have a happy ending, I will make sure of it!_**

* * *

_Ohhh ohoh, chain reaction _  
_Spin me around, all around _  
_Oh feels like a lifetime _  
_(I've been waiting) _  
_One domino goes down _  
_Then they all hit the ground _  
_(And not deliberating) _  
_It all happens for a reason right? _  
_Guess there's no need to fight it right? _  
_Cause one thing leads to another, _  
_Leads to another, leads to another_

Ke$ha — Chain Reaction

* * *

Isabella was rushing to get ready, she had gotten a late start. At 6:50, there was a knock on the door. She let out a groan and ran to answer it, thankful for the concrete floors. She flung the door open and saw an amused Don.

"Oh! You're early", she squeaked. He had an amused look on his handsome face and his eyes appraised her outfit. She was wearing a pair of black short shorts and a tank top.

"You need a minute?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Gimme five minutes and I will look a lot better, I promise", she replied, holding up one finger and closed the door. She tore off her shorts and top and pulled on her dark blue straight-leg jeans and buttoned them. Time for her shirt. She pulled the silver and white oversize T-shirt over her head and fixed it so her bra didn't show. She shoved her feet into her boots and zipped them up, grabbed her bag, and flung open the door again. She liked wearing her boots, they gave her a good three inches of height and were sturdy and comfortable.

"I'm presentable now", she said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. He held out his arm and she slipped her arm into his to walk down the hall with him.

"You look good though", he replied as they walked. She glanced at his casual jeans and a blue button-down and felt her face warm. He looked good too.

"You're not so bad yourself", she commented as they reached the elevator.

* * *

When they had sat down at a sports bar in Midtown, they had gotten to start talking about their careers.

"So what made you decide to become a cop?" Don asked, giving her an attentive look. Isabella laughed, remembering her decision. She had graduated high school at the tender age of fifteen, with honors. The Pacino twins were extremely smart, former child prodigies.

"Well, I was a struggling musician, living with my boyfriend and the guy turned out to be a total deadbeat. I wound up supporting us both and I decided I'd had enough. I talked to my uncle and my mom and my brother for about four hours before my mom asked me 'Izzy-éan, what is it you want to do more than anything in the world?' and I said 'To help people', so it took a while before my uncle brought up the police academy", she replied. It was a hard life.

"So you became a cop to help people?" he asked. She nodded.

"That might seem hard to believe, but yeah. After the academy, I took courses in criminal justice, chemistry, and technology, all while being a full-time uniform", she replied, fiddling with the top of her beer.

"That's pretty impressive", he said. She smiled and looked down.

"Yeah, and I wasn't very well liked either. Adams was my training officer at the time and that got me a lot of respect. When the case came with the wrestler and I took him down, I earned the respect I wanted, not just respect for being a trainee. I eventually worked my way to detective, then CSI", she replied. She looked up at him, locking eyes with him.

"What about you?" she asked. She never really liked talking about herself. He cleared his throat and chuckled.

"Family tradition. I made it farther than my old man, though. Some of the guys who knew my dad back then still call me Junior", he responded with a smile.

"That's cool", she said. She heard a guy sit down next to her. Isabella bristled in horror when she felt a lock of her hair move away from her face and she turned to look at the stranger.

"Can I buy you a drink?" he slurred. He had long, greasy blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail and brown eyes.

"No thank you", she replied, taking the lock of her hair from between his fingers. The guy frowned.

"C'mon, I've got to be better looking than the mook on your other side", he said, leaning forward. Isabella tried not to wrinkle her nose at the alcohol on his breath.

"No thank you", she repeated, trying to be polite. This guy just wasn't getting the message.

"Look, buddy, the lady said no. No is her answer", Don said, giving the guy a glare.

"You wanna go, toots?" the guy demanded, standing up.

"You're drunk, dude. Go on out of here before one of these guys locks you up for harassment", the bartender said, obviously having seen the two detectives' badges. The guy let out a hysterical laugh, falling over and landing on top of Isabella. Her temper flared and she shoved him off, her striking aqua eyes flashing with fury. He let out another laugh and she wondered briefly if he was on drugs.

"Can we go?" she asked Don. He nodded. She slipped a five out of her pocket to pay for her beer and walked with him out.

"Usually drunks don't hang over women like that. I think he liked you", Don teased. She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, ain't I just the luckiest girl ever?" she replied dryly. He chuckled, slinging his arm over her shoulders in a playful fashion. She enjoyed his company, they shared the same sense of humor.

"So you into sports?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yeah, I like sports. Hockey and horse racing are my favorites", she replied. He snorted.

"Horse racing is not a sport", he chided.

"Oh really? Does a football, soccer ball, baseball, or hockey stick have a mind of its own?" she said, raising an eyebrow. She shook her head when he didn't answer.

"Didn't think so". He let out another chuckle.

"Lemme guess, Hurricanes fan?" he asked. She nodded, smiling proudly.

"Yep. Hurricanes rock. The Panthers have been sucking recently, so I'm more of a Giants fan", she replied honestly.

"Ooh, a woman after my own heart", he said. She laughed and looked up at the sky.

"Man, New York really is pretty at night", she mused with a blink. She couldn't live without seeing the stars though, she was an avid stargazer.

"Yeah, but I'll bet it's no Wilmington", he replied. She smiled to herself. She was going to miss everyone at the lab in New York, she'd grown fond of them. They were good people, they didn't pretend to like others. They just did.

"Yeah, I'm gonna kinda miss everyone here. Y'all are cool", she said. He smiled.

"Yeah, they're a good bunch", he agreed.

"My brother's coming to New York to work at Trinity the week after I leave. If you meet him, be nice", she said.

"Well, if he's anything like you, I think we'll get along just fine", he replied. Her face flushed slightly.

"We're pretty similar", she said, thinking of her brother, Ian. Girls had thrown themselves at his feet.

"What's his name?" Don asked.

"Ian. We look pretty alike too, but he's got brown eyes. I got my mama's eyes", Isabella replied. He glanced, looking into her eyes.

"They're pretty eyes", he said. She laughed.

"Was that a line?" she asked.

"What? No! Pacino, you're nuts!" he replied, holding his hands up. She wrinkled her nose, letting out a giggle.

"That so was!" she accused. She planted her hands on her hips, giving him one of her best smiles. The smile she usually saved for special occasions, it let her get away with anything.

"Okay, so it was", he admitted. She beamed up at him.

"You gotta keep in contact with me when I go, kay?" she said. He chuckled, slinging his arms over her shoulders again.

"Sure thing, Rocky", he replied. Isabella was glad he had agreed to accompany her back to her hotel room. Before she slid her key card into the door, she felt her back press against the door. Don's hands slid under her jaw, tilting her chin up and pressing his mouth to hers in a soft, gentle kiss. Nothing funny, just a simple kiss. She kissed him back, resting her hand against his neck.

"See ya later", he said. Isabella's heart was racing, her pulse roaring in her ears. Her breath was ragged as she groped for the lock on her hotel room door. Oh, how she wanted to flop on her bed and call her mom. Her mother, of course, would disapprove. Isabella wasn't there for romance, she was there to work, but she fell asleep that night with a smile on her face.


	12. Cop Killer

**_A/N: I hope this really catches on. I went to save this, and it got deleted. All of my hard work, which took three hours to type up got deleted. I legitimately cried. Not even joking. SO PLEASE REVIEW DDDD:_**

**_IT WILL HELP ME WITH THE INJUSTICE MOZILLA FIREFOX INFLICTED UPON ME_**

* * *

_You can sound the alarm_

_You can call out your dogs_

_You can fence in your yard_

_You can hold all the cards_

_But I won't back down_

_Oh no, I won't back down_

_Oh no_

Eminem feat. P!nk — Won't Back Down

* * *

Isabella shook her head wildly as she approached the crime scene, trying to fight off the chill of the early winter air at four o'clock in the morning.

"Victim's name is Vivienne Marx. Thirty-two years old", Detective Daniel Montgomery said. He was the new head of the crime lab, flown all the way from Seattle, Washington. She sighed and looked down at the waistband of the victim's jeans. Something glittering caught the streetlight and she bent down, putting gloves on and taking it off her jeans. She held it up to read it and her heart nearly stopped. Vivienne Marx was a detective with the NYPD.

"She's NYPD", Isabella said, looking up at Daniel. His eyebrows rose.

"Are you sure?" he asked. She held up the badge. 'City of New York Police Detective' glistened at the head of the shield. The numbers '3100' glistened. Isabella quickly tapped it into the database tablet each CSI was required to carry. Vivienne Marx was a Third Grade Homicide Detective. She was a member of Detective Donald Flack Jr's team. That was one call she hated to make, but she had to.

"Hey, uh, Daniel, lemme call her supervisor. I know him", she said to Daniel. He nodded.

"That's one call I bet you're dying to make, eh, Killer?" he said. She gave him a shaky smile and stripped off her gloves. She pulled out her cell and dialed Don's number regretfully. It was four am, she hoped he was awake.

"Got insomnia, Rocky?" was his answer. She chuckled.

"I call bearing bad news, Don", she said.

"This is not good. Did your brother call and say I was being mean to him again?" he teased. It had been three months since Isabella had left, and Ian and Don constantly bumped heads.

"No, he didn't. Uh, are you missing anyone from your team?" she asked uneasily. Uneasy silence.

"Why do you ask?" he asked.

"We have a body here in Wilmington and she had an NYPD badge. Her name is Vivienne Marx. I ran her badge, and it says she's on your team", she replied.

"Vivi's dead?" Don asked. She kicked herself mentally. She hated this part.

"I'm afraid so. I'm sorry that I'm the one to tell you about this, Don", she replied softly.

"No, I'm glad it was you and not someone else. When did you find her body?" he asked.

"We found it about thirty minutes ago, I came onto the scene about ten minutes ago. I'm very sorry about your loss, I know how it feels to lose a team-mate", she replied.

"I know, I appreciate that you told me", he said.

"Let me know if there's absolutely anything I can do to help. You name it", she said.

"Right now, catch the sick bastard who killed her. That'd be the best thing you can do for me", he replied.

"I'll give it everything I've got, Don", she promised.

"Keep me posted, okay? This is something I'm not looking forward to telling everyone", he said.

"I will. When we catch the guy, you're the first to know", she replied. After a minute of talking, Isabella hung up the phone.

"That was her CO, Detective Flack. I worked with him when I was in New York, Vivienne Marx was on his team", she said to Daniel.

"You take this case. We've got a body off Nixon, De Luca and Ross will be here soon", he replied, referring to Aria De Luca and Logan Ross. The three of them always got the case locked down. Isabella looked down at the body and examined it closely. Huge chunks were torn out of the body, some fingers and teeth were missing. A slash to the throat was most likely COD. Vivienne Marx looked as though she was once a pretty woman, with soft blonde hair. Why anyone would want to hurt someone like her was beyond her. Anyone who killed a cop was automatically going down, no matter the jurisdiction.

"Vivienne Marx, what the hell are you doing in Wilmington?" Isabella murmured.

* * *

When the body was rolled to the ME's office, Aria rested her hand on her friend's shoulder.

"You okay, Killer?" she murmured. Isabella nodded, distracted.

"She's an NYPD officer, Ree-Ree", she replied.

"We're gonna get this guy", Aria promised. They stood in the ME's office with Charles Hamilton, the Medical Examiner.

"Well, lucky thing is, the dismemberment happened after death. Official COD is exsanguination due to a knife wound to the throat, severing the jugular vein. Our victim bled out within minutes", Charlie said. Isabella sighed, running a gloved hand over Vivienne Marx's hair. Charlie frowned and looked at Vivienne Marx.

"I have another victim with a COD just like hers", he said, pulling another body out of the freezer. Same MO as Vivienne Marx.

"Her name is Janet King. Brought in a couple of days ago, but no one was able to claim her".

"Can I get her wallet?" Isabella asked. He pulled a bag out. Another NYPD badge. She ran the badge number '4558' into the database at the office. Homicide detective, but on Detective Sean O'Reilly's team.

"I gotta call Flack. This killer is targeting women of the NYPD. We officially have a serial killer on our hands", she said.

"Wait till you hear the most disturbing part", Charlie told her. She looked up.

"The area around the neck was licked clean. I sent DNA to the lab and it came back human, no hits in any database. Your killer's a cannibal", he said. Isabella's hand slapped over her mouth in horror.

"Are you sure, Charlie?" she asked in a shaky voice. He nodded gravely.

"This is definite cause of a joint investigation. I'm calling Detective Taylor", she said, pushing out of autopsy and going up to the lab. She walked directly into Daniel's office.

"Daniel, we got a serial killer. He's targeting women cops. The body of Janet King is from NYPD also, I'm trying to get a joint investigation in order with New York and I need your approval", she said, planting her hands on her hips. He gave her a pained look.

"The DOA we had on Nixon street was a cop, too. Remember Lila Fitch, the Narcotics detective that helped us cinch Justin Yeager?" he asked. She nodded.

"She's dead, too. Same MO as your DOA", he said. Isabella's hand flew to her throat.

"He's a cannibalistic cop killer", she murmured.

"Call Detective Taylor, tell him to bring as many investigators as he wants", he said. Isabella already had her phone out and had sent a text message to Mac Taylor. Her phone rang.

"Mac, we have two of your people in our morgue", she said.

"I heard you had Vivienne Marx. Who else is there?" he asked.

"Janet King. We want to do a joint investigation with you, if you're willing. Detective Montgomery says you can bring as many as you want, I can get you a place to stay for a good price", she said.

"Did you lose any of your own?" he asked.

"A Narco cop", she replied.

"He's a cop killer. You can expect us in four days, Pacino. I'll call you later with details", Mac said. They hung up.

"We have a killer to catch. He preys on women cops, so we have to keep the women in our department safe", Isabella said to Daniel.

"You get them set up. This is your case, Isabella. Do this by the book, no matter who's involved", he replied. She nodded and walked away. Time to go home and talk to her mother.

* * *

"Mama, I need to talk to you", Isabella said, straddling a chair in the kitchen and looking up at her. This felt incredibly familiar.

"Are you going New York?" Marnie asked. Her mother had recently suffered a stroke that had affected her speech. Isabella shook her head.

"There's a new case coming in and it's a joint investigation with the NYPD. I want them to stay here", she replied. Marnie nodded, furrowing her brow. The sweet Irishwoman was lucky to be alive.

"Good thought in head. How many come?" she asked.

"Mac's calling me back with details. Can we cut them a deal?" Isabella said.

"No other way I want done. They stay as long as want", Marnie replied with a smile. Isabella kissed her mother's cheek.

"Go raibh maith agat, Mama", she said. Marnie patted her daughter's cheek.

[Thank you, Mama]

"An bhfuil an méid ní mór duit, iníon", she replied.

[Do what you must, daughter]

Isabella looked down at her phone as it rang.

"It's Mac", she said, sliding her finger to answer the phone.

"Pacino".

"I'm coming with Danny, Hawkes, and Flack", Mac said.

"Aw, no Lindsay?" Isabella teased. He laughed.

"Maybe next time", he replied.

"I have a place for you all to stay for the time being, my mom runs a boardinghouse called a 'stay-home'. There's good food and awesome people", she said.

"We don't want to put you out, Isabella", he replied.

"You'd hurt my mom's feelings if y'all didn't stay here", she said honestly. Her mother's face was beaming as she busily cooked.

"Alright, we'll be flying into Wilmington from JFK three days from now", he replied.

"I'll see you all then", she said and hung up.


	13. Cannibals

**_A/N: I love writing this plot-line! It's going to be awesome!_**

* * *

_Feeling broken_

_Barely holding on_

_But there's just something so strong_

_Somewhere inside me_

_And I am down, but I'll get up again_

_Don't count me out just yet_

Cher — You Haven't Seen The Last Of Me_  
_

* * *

Three days had flown by and Don was on a plane to Wilmington, North Carolina. He glanced over at Danny, who looked a bit nervous.

"Afraid to fly, Messer?" he said. Danny chuckled, shaking his head.

"Nah, I'm just jittery 'cause of all the coffee I drank", he replied. They were due to land any minute. Isabella had told them to look for her at the baggage claim.

"Please turn off all electronic devices, we will be landing momentarily", the stewardess said. Don felt himself jostle at the feeling of the plane landing on the runway and driving up to the port. After everyone had gotten off, they walked through the airport towards baggage claim. He chuckled when he saw Isabella standing on a seat and looking into the crowd. She was standing with a tall man with dark brown hair. Don sneaked up behind her and poked her in the back. Whirling around, she looked ready to fight. When the look of recognition crossed her features, she nearly jumped out of the chair to hug him.

"Y'all get here okay?" she asked. Her Southern accent was adorable, always had been.

"We got here fine, Rocky. Glad you missed me", he replied, hugging her back. She hugged Mac, Hawkes, and Danny.

"This is one of the detectives on the case, CSI Logan Ross", she said, gesturing to the man standing next to her. Logan shook hands with everyone.

"Well, let's get y'all to the stay-home and we'll get you to the lab and get ya situated", she said, clapping her hands together. Her aqua eyes were mixed with emotions. They followed them to the car, apparently the vehicle was Logan's minivan.

"I rock the minivan, I know", Logan said with an easy grin.

"It's his mom's", Isabella stage-whispered. He gave her a death glare.

"Like you've never driven your mom's car", he shot back.

"Yeah, my mom drives a frickin' truck", she replied with a snort. Everyone laughed. She looked back.

"I will warn you guys, my mom had a stroke a few months ago and it broke her speech up pretty bad. Her English isn't that good", she said, her eyes softening.

"Is she bilingual?" Hawkes asked. She nodded.

"My mom is full-blooded Irish, right from the old country itself", she replied. Don felt better. He could just use the Gaelic he knew to talk to her. They pulled into a vast parking lot to a revamped hotel and everyone filed out. Two dogs charged from the garage, barking.

"Dallas, Wrangler, get down!" Isabella commanded. Both dogs dropped to their bellies, wiggling.

"I'm scared now", Don muttered to Danny. Logan chuckled. One dog was a Border Collie, the other a massive German Shepherd.

"They won't bite, they're just excited", Isabella said, shooing the dogs away. She led the way into the main house.

"Mama, we're home!" she called. A woman even smaller than Isabella walked into the kitchen. Don was struck by the similarities between the two women. They had the same striking aqua eyes, same curly jet-black hair, same smile. Isabella was taller than her mother, by about four inches and more slender.

"My name Marnie", the woman said, extending a hand. She spoke out of half of her mouth.

"Is é mo ainm Don Flack", Don said. Marnie's eyes widened.

[My name is Don Flack]

"Mar sin, go deas bualadh!" she said, shaking his hand.

[So nice to meet!]

"Mama, we have to go to the lab soon to get the ball rolling on our case", Isabella spoke up. Marnie nodded.

"I stop by later?" she asked. Isabella smiled and kissed the top of her mother's head.

"Sure", she agreed.

* * *

They pulled up to a large building in downtown.

"You and your mother look very similar", Mac commented. Logan clapped his hands.

"It's scary, ain't it?" he said, speaking for the first time. He had a Southern drawl, just like his teammate. Everyone got out and followed Isabella into the building.

"We're not a very big city, so we don't need as many precincts. Downstairs, is the ME's office, upstairs is the lab", she explained breezily. She pointed to a group of desks.

"That's the Homicide department. Our Narcotics department is a lot bigger, as there's more of a demand for dope cops than homicide cops", she said, pressing the elevator button. She slid her card in and pressed in a four digit code, presumably her badge number. The doors opened and a wide layout was before them. Glass offices much like the lab in New York, a very open layout. Lab techs were scurrying around.

"This is the Wilmington Crime Lab, gentlemen", she said with a smile. A tall Italian woman with long, shining dark hair approached.

"Are these our visiting dignitaries?" she asked with an amused look. Isabella nodded.

"This is Detective CSI Aria De Luca. Aria, this is Detectives Mac Taylor, Danny Messer, and Don Flack. With them, is Dr. Sheldon Hawkes. They're here on the cop killer case", she replied, gesturing to them. Aria shook each of their hands. Don noticed everyone was very welcoming. Aria pointed to Isabella.

"What time do you get off?" she asked.

"Around nine", was Isabella's reply. Aria nodded.

"Come with us to the morgue, Ree-Ree", Isabella requested. Logan had slipped out by now and was gone.

"Nah, you got it, Killer", Aria replied. Isabella pressed the 'LL' button and the doors closed.

"So are you the lead detective on this one, Isabella?" Mac asked. She shrugged.

"Well, me, Aria, and Logan are the heads of this case. Daniel was very close to this one and he didn't trust himself on it", she replied. The doors opened and everyone filed out.

"Guys, this is Charlie Hamilton", she sighed. Don could tell she was not looking forward to this part.

"You guys are very very quiet and that is very unsettling", she said. He chuckled.

"Well, this is a very serious situation. There's not a lot to say", he replied. Charlie Hamilton pulled out two bodies from the morgue freezer, each covered with a sheet. Isabella nodded to him and the sheet was pulled back on one. Nothing could have prepared Don for the sight before him. Vivienne Marx, his detective, was mangled. Massive chunks were torn out of her flesh, fingers were missing. He opened her mouth to show teeth were missing as well. Same as Janet King.

"Dear God, who could have done this?" Sheldon said. Danny's face was pale with horror. Not even Mac could say anything

"He targets women cops, and he thrives on dominance. Our killer was most likely belittled by a dominant woman figure in his life, and once he had fought back, he became addicted to that feeling of victory. He wanted to defile as much of them as he could", Isabella replied quietly. Charlie looked like he was about to say something, but she silenced him with a look.

"Go ahead and speak, Dr. Hamilton", Mac gently prodded.

"The neck wounds were licked clean by the killer. DNA around the body came back human. Your killer's a cannibal", Charlie said. Now Don could see why Isabella had silenced him. Nothing would have prepared them.


	14. Best Friends

**_A/N: I wanted to write this from Aria's point of view. She's Isabella's best friend, I kind of wanted to write Don and Isabella's relationship from a third person's point of view. When I think about Aria, I think about Aiden, they're very similar in my book. Both are professional, loyal to the people they love, and they get the job done.  
_**

* * *

_Hey, old friend together_

_Side by side_

_And year by year_

_The road was filled _

_With twists and turns_

_Oh, but that's the road_

_That got us here_

_Let's move past the bad times_

_But before those memories fade_

_Let's forgive, but not forget_

_And learn from all the mistakes we've made_

_'Cause it's so clear_

_Every year, we get stronger_

_So don't give up and don't say when_

_And just get back on the road again  
_

Hairspray Cast — Come So Far (Got So Far To Go)

* * *

Aria De Luca watched her best friend talk to one of the people from New York with interest. She and Isabella had been best friends since second grade, when she had moved to Wilmington from Italy. She smiled as she watched her friend's conversational partner lean a little bit to listen to what she was saying. Aria couldn't remember the guy's name, but Isabella had mentioned him to her. She honestly didn't think she deserved Isabella as a friend.

"You look smug. That's not a good sign", Logan commented. Aria chuckled and looked at him.

"Who's Izzy talking to? I can never remember their names", she said.

"Don Flack. He's a decent guy", he replied. She studied her friend. She was truly blessed for both of her friends. Of course, Logan was much more than a friend to her. Four years ago on a drunken night, they made a child together. Nevaeh was their world. Even then, Isabella had happily helped them out. She was a wonderful friend. At times, it was like it was Aria and her against the world.

"Yeah, he seems nice", she agreed. She tucked a lock of dark hair behind her ear and turned to the GCMS before her.

"Looks like we need to round up all the woman-haters in the city", she muttered darkly. She hated facing all the cop-haters and the women-haters. She could only imagine what people thought of women cops. She glanced over at the former doctor on the case with them.

"How you holding up?" she asked him. Hawkes was his name. He shrugged.

"Pretty well. I wasn't ready for that kind of brutality", he replied. She chuckled.

"No one ever is", she said. She ran a print from Lila's belt and it came back to a Kyle Hanson. Locked up for assault on an officer four times. She remembered him. He was a racist, sexist bastard.

"Got a hit!" Aria enthused. She grinned and poked her head out.

"Hey, Trouble! We got our first contestant on 'Who'd Wanna Kill A Cop Anyways?'!" she called. Isabella's face broke out into a huge smile.

"Who's our lucky winner?" she asked.

"Our very own Kyle Hanson!" Aria replied. They high-fived.

"Alrighty, so who wants to come along with us?" she said, her eyes scanning the room. Isabella giggled.

"Oh, we have too much fun", she replied, planting a hand on her hip. Her aqua eyes flicked up to Don.

"Hey, Starsky, where's Hutch?" she asked. It was clear she was referring to Danny.

"Who are you referring to? Logan?" Aria asked. Isabella shook her head.

"Nah, I'm talking about Danny", she replied.

"Messer's running Trace with Hawkes", Logan called as he walked by.

"You gotta pick up Vaeh at four!" Aria called back. He chuckled and disappeared to the elevator. When she turned around to say something, Isabella had Danny by the arm and was dragging him out of Trace.

"Let's go!" she said.

* * *

When they pulled up to the mechanic garage where Kyle Hanson worked, Aria glanced at Isabella.

"Don't lose your temper, Killer", she warned. The four of them walked in and she held her friend back. There, in all of his tattooed and pierced glory, was the most notorious cop-beater in New Brunswick County. Isabella walked up to him.

"Kyle Hanson? WPD, we need to talk to you", she said, holding up her badge. If there was one thing Aria knew about Isabella, was that she did not like to be ignored. And being ignored, she was. She tapped him on the shoulder.

"I'm talking to you", she continued. He gave her a cool glance.

"Women aren't officers", he finally snorted. It was amusing to watch her set her jaw and narrow her pretty eyes.

"I beg to differ. I have this nifty little badge here that says otherwise", she replied as calmly as she could.

"Women like you should be doing what you were made for: on your back, servicing the working men like me and these two", he sneered. Isabella's nostrils flared as she glared up at him. She was losing her temper fast.

"I'm biracial", she snorted. He glared down at her.

"So our city's being protected by not only women, but half-breeds, too?" he growled.

"That's enough", Don warned. Kyle's eyes flicked over to him coolly.

"Alright, what can I do for you, Officer?" he asked.

"It's Detective", Don replied.

"Your prints were found on a dead officer's belt and skin. Care to elaborate on how your prints got there?" Danny asked. Kyle shrugged.

"Million and one ways it could've gotten there, man", he replied.

"But the prints were located in very intimate places", Aria spoke up. He gave her a cold glare.

"Let the men talk, sweetheart", he said. She jutted her chin out.

"You gotta problem with me, tell me now", she said.

"I gotta problem with your attitude. If this were the old days, I'd be taking my turn with you right now", he said, getting into her face. Big mistake. Aria let out a snicker.

"Then who'd be betraying their race? I'm fourth generation Italian, ass clown", she replied. He spat in her eye. Burning humiliation writhed through her belly. She had never been spat at before.

"Filthy immigrant slut", he snarled. Before anyone could react, Isabella lunged for him.

"Izzy, don't!" Aria shrieked. It was too late. Isabella had Kyle Hanson on his stomach and slammed his head down. The handcuffs went on and she shoved him to his feet.

"Looks like this half-breed opened up a can of whoop-ass", she said with a smirk. She shoved him roughly and he writhed against her grip.

"If you _ever _spit in my girl's eye again, call her an immigrant slut, or poke fun at women, I will make your life a living hell", she snarled in his ear. Aria had to admire her friend's loyalty, but her temper was going to get her in big trouble.

"He's just like Michael Elgars", Danny muttered.

"Who's Michael Elgars?" she asked.

"A Neo-Nazi back in New York. Talked down on Hawkes, Danny gave him hell for it", Don replied. She looked at Isabella pushing Kyle into the squad car and slamming the door. Eyes blazing, she stormed back over to them.

"I hate scumbags like that", she growled.

"IA's gonna have your ass now, Iz. We need you on this case, you lost your cool!" Aria scolded her. Isabella recoiled.

"I was defending you. I was defending our badges, he can't get away with harassing us!" she snapped.

"We also can't let him get away with getting to us. He now has the upper hand because you have a short temper", Aria replied. With that, she turned on her heel and stormed towards the car. She adored her best friend, she really did, but sometimes, Isabella proved to be a flight risk.

* * *

"That stupid half-breed assaulted me, I want her gone", Kyle Hanson snarled.

"Well, you can't always get what you want, you pathetic racist", Logan snapped. Aria watched from observation. Isabella had gotten a big slap on the wrist for jumping Hanson; a pay dock and two days' suspension, no gun, no shield. Well, big slap for her anyways.

"So, first I was physically assaulted by an officer, now I'm being verbally assaulted by an officer?" Kyle said. Don's eyes narrowed.

"You harassed two officers, it was justified", he replied.

"Back in the day, you'd commend me for putting those whores in their place", Kyle sneered.

"Well, we're in the now, and I'm two inches away from throwing you out a window", Don snorted. He was sticking up for them. Aria felt flattered, then she chuckled. It was probably mostly for Isabella; the pair's flirting and teasing didn't go unnoticed by her. The door to observation opened and Isabella walked in.

"I got special pardon for this", she said, leaning against her friend. Aria kissed the top of her head.

"You were also bored with doing Sudoku puzzles, weren't you?" she teased. Isabella glared up at her.

"They're so hard!" she complained. The two women burst out laughing.

"That's what she said!" they chorused. It never failed to amaze Aria; no matter how tense the situations were, she and Isabella could walk away, laughing.

"Shake to my bake?" she said. Isabella laughed.

"Cocaine to my waffles", she replied. They knuckle-touched.

"Bruce Lee to my Chuck Norris", Aria said with a smile.

"Cal Naughton to my Ricky Bobby", Isabella replied. When the day was over, they all met at the stay-easy and curled up in the living room.

"Hold up, remember when Izzy was little and Ian said she threw him on the roof?" Aria said, giggling. It was her favorite story of Isabella, although they hadn't met until years later.

"What?" Don said. Uncle Tony laughed.

"Ian and Izzy were very special children, like Gemini. Ian was like the angel, Isabella was like the devil. I was out working in the yard, when little Ian comes running around yelling 'Uncle Tony, Uncle Tony! Isabella threw me on the roof!' They couldn't have been more than three at the time. So I look down at Isabella and I said 'Now, Isabella, did you throw your brother on the roof?' And she gives me a look before looking at her brother, then at the roof and she's quiet for a minute, like she's actually thinking about if she could do it. She looks up at me and says 'No. You shouldn't believe everything Ian says'", he replied. Everyone in the living room erupted in laughter.

"Oh man, Ree-Ree, remember the bully who wouldn't leave Ian alone?" Isabella said. Aria threw back her head and laughed.

"Oh, my God, how could I forget? You totally kicked the crap out of him!" she replied.

"It's hard to believe someone so small could be so deadly", Don commented. Isabella gave him a big smile.

"That's 'cause you're on the right side of the arm", she replied. They were sitting on the floor next to each other very closely.

"Remember the hockey player?" Aria asked. That got a laugh from the people who knew.

"Oh my God, I remember him! Lyle Hayes, he was the goalie for the Hurricanes", Isabella replied. She had dated Lyle Hayes, the French-Canadian hockey player for a year. He had an unhealthy obsession with Celine Dion.

"Yeah, remember every time Celine Dion came on the radio?" Aria asked. Both women laughed hysterically.

"Yes! He got lyrics of her songs tattooed on his body", Isabella replied. Aria turned to face everyone.

"She dated this one guy who was a total crackup, he loved Celine Dion music and was French-Canadian", she explained, wiping her eyes.

"Who eez thees in my 'ouse?" she imitated his accent, causing everyone to erupt in laughter. It was a light evening all in all...laughter, good food, and friends. What more could you ask for?


	15. The Worst Victim

**_A/N: I literally cried while writing this chapter. I get so emotional writing these kinds of chapters..._**

* * *

****_Sometimes, the road just ends_

_It changes everything you've been_

_And all that's left to be_

_Is empty, broken, lonely, hoping_

_I'm supposed to be strong_

_I'm supposed to find a way_

_To carry on_

_I don't wanna feel better_

_I don't wanna not remember_

_I will always see your face_

_In the shadows of this haunted place_

_I will laugh, I will cry_

_Shake my fists at the sky_

_But I will not say goodbye_

Danny Gokey — I Will Not Say Goodbye_  
_

* * *

Isabella ran the trace samples through GCMS, glancing at the door every now and again. Aria was two hours late for work, which was extremely unlike her. She saw Logan walking through the hall and she bounded out to catch up with him. It was a sunny Friday morning. The weather was cooling down and a breeze strolled through open windows.

"Hey, Lobo, can you go check up on Aria? She hasn't called in sick and she's way late. This isn't like her. I'd do it, but I'm really busy", she said. Logan nodded, his brown eyes concerned. With that, he left. Isabella couldn't fight the uneasiness in her belly as she worked.

"You look uneasy", Mac commented. She gave him a half-smile before nodding.

"Aria's late", she explained. She looked up at the elevator doors, in time to see them open. She bounded out of the lab to give Aria a good tongue-lashing, but it wasn't her best friend coming out of the elevator. It was Don. She stopped and felt a sour look form on her face.

"Fine, I'm not happy to see you either", he joked. She let out an uneasy chuckle before running a hand through her hair.

"Aria's MIA, so Logan's gone to check on her", she said. She stood on her toes to see if her friend was coming through the elevator.

"Maybe she's sick?" he offered. She shook her head.

"She'd call if she was going to be even a smidgen late", she replied, shooting down the idea. Luckily, Nevaeh was with Logan last night. Aria didn't live that far from the lab, though. Maybe a good five minutes walking distance, but not enough to ever cause her to be late.

"You haven't heard from her either?" he asked, frowning. Over the past week, they had gotten nowhere on the case, but friendships were forming. It was easy to like Aria; she was a likable woman. Isabella shook her head no.

"And she always calls", she replied. She walked into her shared office with Aria and sat down, crossing her legs. She remembered why Don had come up.

"Sorry, did you get something on your end?" she asked him apologetically. He shook his head.

"Me and your guys have been scouting the area, cross-referencing any consistency in any of the victims' lives and so far, it's like they're strangers on the street", he replied. She frowned, drumming her nails on her desk.

"Nothing on our end either. I've been over the evidence eighty times over the past two days. I've dug so deep into it, I think I've found China", she complained. He chuckled and surveyed her expression.

"Aria's tough. She can take care of herself", he told her, kissing the top of her head. When friendships had formed, so had a bond between Don and Isabella. She was going to miss the New Yorkers terribly, Don especially. She hugged him. She saw Daniel running out of his office, Kingston Braves, his second-in-command following closely behind. Something was wrong. Logan came through the elevator and Isabella shot out of her office.

"Any news on Aria?" she asked. Tears were in his eyes as he shook his head. Not a good sign.

"She's gone, Izzy. Aria's dead", he whispered. The news struck her hard.

"Ha ha, Lobo. Very funny", she said, desperately hoping it was a joke. The haunted look in his eyes told her it wasn't. The ground jerked from under her and she felt a hand on her arm to keep her from falling.

"Was it the Cop-Killer?" she asked, tears filling her eyes. He nodded grimly. She yanked her arm from whoever was holding her and ran into her office. She slammed the door and leaned her back against the glass wall, sliding down.

"NO!" she screamed, burying her face in her knees and letting the sobs wrack her body. Aria couldn't be dead, she couldn't. She had a little girl to raise, a case to see through. A best friend who so desperately needed her right this very second. She wailed the indignant injustice to the silence of her office, not caring people could hear. Tears rolled down her face freely as she cried out her eyes, heart, mind, soul, and everything in between. She had no idea how long she had been crying until she heard the knock on her office door. She wiped her eyes and looked up. It was Daniel. She shook her head angrily, her curls flying in every direction. She crawled under her desk and curled up into a ball. Muted voices were outside the door as people conversed outside of it. Finally, there was another knock. It was Logan and Don. She gave a brief nod and they took it as an invitation to come in.

"Hey, pretty girl", Logan said softly. He had been crying himself. The mother of his child was dead as well. Today, the Wilmington Police Department had lost a phenomenal detective. A child had lost her mother. A mother had lost her child. Two best friends were forever separated. Yet the sun shone happily, as though it were completely unaffected by the tragic loss everyone had endured. Isabella sniffled and looked up at him.

"C'mere", he said, holding out his arms. She crawled out from under her desk and hugged him tightly. He hugged her back fiercely.

"She fought like hell, Izzy. The apartment was ransacked", he murmured into her ear. She released him from her tight hug and frowned up at him. It was still so sudden. Don held out his arms and she hugged him fiercely. He pressed his cheek to the top of her head as his grip tightened on her.

"I'm so sorry, Rocky", he whispered. She nodded against his chest. His words comforted her somewhat. She knew he meant it. They weren't empty, rehearsed words he'd uttered to every homicide victim's family.

"Thanks", she replied. She knew she looked like hell. Her hair and makeup were a mess, she could feel the mascara and eyeliner caked to her tear-stained face. She wiped a tear from under her eye and she let the two men lead her out of her office. She and Logan received hugs from the lab techs. When Danny had heard what happened, he'd held out his arms for a hug. Rolling her eyes, Isabella hugged him.

"I'm sorry to hear about her. I know you two were close", he said once they'd broken the hug. She nodded.

"Best friends for twenty-two years", she replied. Hawkes stood, arms open. She hugged him, emitting a small exhale of a chuckle. She then hugged Mac.

"You're gonna be okay, Isabella", Mac said. Her eyes widened as she took in his words. She knew somehow, she'd get through it. But getting over it was something she knew she would never do.

"Thanks, Mac", she whispered. Daniel walked in.

"I want you to stay out of autopsy, Killer. You don't need to remember Aria like that", he said. She nodded. She looked around.

"I want to tell the De Lucas, though. They should hear it from me", she requested. Daniel nodded.

"Take all the time you need", he told her. Isabella looked at Logan.

"They hate me, it'll be worse coming from me", he said regretfully. He couldn't face Aria's mother and father. She rubbed her eyes.

"Gimme five minutes and I'll leave", she said. She walked numbly into the bathroom and examined her face in the mirror. Her face was pale with eyeliner and mascara caked onto her face. Her eyes were bloodshot and red-rimmed with her lips swollen from crying so hard. She sniffed and wiped the makeup from her face with a wet paper towel. She rubbed her eyes again and raked her fingers through her hair to work out the tangles and swiped it back into a ponytail. She looked a little better, slightly better than hell. She smoothed her top and walked out of the bathroom. She pulled her sunglasses out of her purse in her office and grabbed her keys, badge, and ID. Time to break the news no mother needed to hear. She was glad for her sunglasses' over-sized frames as she walked to the elevator. She heard someone walk behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Mac. He gave her a sympathetic look and she gave him a nod.

* * *

The drive to the De Lucas' home in Castle Hayne was a drive Isabella was not looking forward to. She weaved expertly in and out of traffic in the department-issued Toyota Tundra, laying on the horn as people attempted to cut her off. She pulled up to the gate of the home of her best friend's family and drove through the opened doors. The small one-story house looked happy and cheerful with its carefully manicured lawns and a lovely garden. Isabella pulled up to the garage next to Alonzo De Luca's prized GTO and behind Sofia's humble Camry. She and Mac got out and walked along the sidewalk to the porch steps. The normally long walk seemed shorter as she walked up the steps to the door. She rang the doorbell and took off her sunglasses, perching them onto her head. Dogs barked on the other side and soon, the door opened. Standing before her, was Alonzo De Luca, Aria's father.

"Isabella! What a lovely surprise!" he said in his warm Italian accent. She gave him a soft smile. His dark eyes searched her face and realization dawned on his face.

"What happened to Aria?" he asked in a whisper. Isabella looked away, biting her lip. Alonzo's hand flew to his face in horror as he took in what her expression meant.

"I'm so sorry, Papi Alonzo", she murmured. Tears rolled down the man's face silently. She felt her throat thicken again as she looked at him.

"They found her this morning", she said, her voice cracking a bit.

"Mr. De Luca, I'm Detective Mac Taylor with the New York Crime Lab. I'm on your daughter's case, and I am truly, truly sorry for your loss", Mac spoke up. Not one for spitefulness or cruelty, Alonzo shook Mac's hand, tears still rolling down his face.

"Come in, please", he urged them. Isabella slid off her boots and set them by the door, wordlessly encouraging Mac to do the same. The elderly Shetland Sheepdog-mix barked wheezily as they stepped into the house. The De Luca home was decorated in a very cottage-like feel. The colors of the home was a warm brown, with white accents.

"Per favore, siediti. Fate come se foste a casa mentre vado a prendere mia moglie", Alonzo said in Italian.

[Please, sit. Make yourselves at home while I fetch my wife]

Isabella sat down on the white sofa, nodding for Mac to do the same.

"He's getting Aria's mother", she said softly. She folded her hands onto her lap and looked straight ahead. On a wall, was a picture of Isabella and Aria with their arms around each other, sticking their tongues out at the camera, two horses behind them. The horses lived at Isabella's property. The girls were aged seventeen at the time. She remembered the day well. They had ridden the horses from the stay-home to the horse-approved beaches. The sunset lit happily behind them. A small, stout woman came into the room warily.

"Isabella, my husband says you have news for me?" she asked. Isabella sighed. She really, really, really hated this part. She stood up and grasped the older woman's hands.

"Mama Sofia", she started. Aria's mother's eyes gazed up at her expectantly.

"Aria was murdered last night", she said softly. Sofia's hand flew to her throat.

"What happened?" she gasped. Tears rolled down her face as she let out a wail. No mother should ever outlive their child. Isabella glanced at Mac, trying desperately to get him to fill in the blanks.

"Ma'am, I'm Detective Mac Taylor with the New York Crime Lab. I'm on your daughter's case and we're currently trying to evaluate on who murdered Aria, but I promise you both that the finest detectives are on this case and we're doing our best to catch whoever it was that did this to her", he said. After the tears and the agony, they had all sat down.

"When was the last time you had seen Aria?" Isabella asked. It was hard to control the tears in her eyes.

"I had just spoken to her last night, about six pm. She had said that Logan had Nevaeh, _grazie a Dio_, and that she was working on some case that she was very close to cracking wide open. She had a suspicion on who a killer was, but she had no proof", Alonzo replied. She leaned forward, her attention piqued.

"Did your daughter elaborate on who the killer was?" Mac asked. That statement had his attention as well.

"Aria said that the killer was a cop", Alonzo replied.

"Well, our killer kills cops. Did you get it confused somehow?" Isabella asked. Alonzo shook his head no.

"She said she thought the killer was a cop", he repeated. She exchanged a glance with Mac in shock.

* * *

**_A/N2: CLIFFHANGER! I hope this gets you going! R&R and let me know what you think: Did I suck or did I do good?_**


	16. Breaking News

**_A/N: Sooo...I don't get any reviews... I know, I should be writing for the sheer joy of it, but I feel as though my work is unappreciated T-T. Please review this time around? ._**

* * *

_When I look back on these times_

_And the dreams we left behind_

_I'll be glad 'cause I was blessed to get_

_To have you in my life_

_When I look back on these days_

_I'll look and see your face_

_You were right there for me_

Faith Hill — There You'll Be (Totally Isabella and Aria's song! This song is definitely to be listened to while reading!)

* * *

Isabella sped the truck back to the lab, sinking in the information Alonzo had said. Aria had left her father a voice-mail and she had made the realization on the voice-mail. She had spoken to her maybe an hour or so before death. She weaved in and out of traffic again, the speedometer's needle going from 60 to 90. She pulled up to the lab and she and Mac jumped out.

"Do not tell anyone what we just heard. Only Logan, Danny, Flack, Hawkes, and Daniel need to know besides you and me", she instructed him. This changed everything. They had a rat in their midst. He chuckled.

"Of course", he replied. Daniel was working late that night, Kingston had joked about how much he was working. Logan had Nevaeh, he had no motive to want female cops dead. Danny, Don, Mac, and Hawkes couldn't have committed the murders, they were in New York when they all went down. Those were the only cops they could trust. Isabella swiped her ID and typed in her badge number to get the elevator running to the next floor. She drummed her nails impatiently on the rail in the elevator.

"Be careful on this, Isabella. It's very easy to crawl into a case and not come out", Mac said. She stiffened in shock. Was that what she was doing? She wanted blood for Aria's death, sure, but was she crawling into this case?

"I'll be careful, Mac. This is a solid lead, this blows everything wide open", she replied. Her heart was racing in excitement as the doors opened. She bounded out of the elevator. She quickly sent a text to the people she wanted close to the case and walked into the conference room.

_Conference room. Now. Big lead on the case._

She leaned against the table with Mac and looked at the door. Danny and Don were racing each other in the hallway.

"Don't run. The poor lab techs have enough to clean up without your blood getting spilled", she called. She wore a smug smile as everyone piled in and sat down. She kicked the door closed with her foot, crossing her legs again and studying the people in the room. These were the people she trusted with this information. She glanced over at Mac.

"You wanna tell them or should I?" she asked. He chuckled.

"Just play the message", he replied. She pressed 'play' on the recorder and pressed a finger to her lips for them to be silent.

"Hey, Daddy, it's Aria. I just wanted to return your call, I'm sorry I missed it. We have a pretty major case that's been going on, and it's demanded all of my attention", Aria's voice was saying. It was quiet for a second.

"Oh my God, I just thought of something. The killings were getting worse and worse, and the last body was killed with a cop move. Oh my God, the killer's a cop. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God", she said. Isabella stopped the recorder and looked around the room.

"Do not share any of this information with anyone, and I do mean anyone. Our suspect list just narrowed down to the entire department", she said. Shocked looks were evident on everyone's faces. Hawkes was the first to speak.

"I spoke to Doctor Hamilton earlier and he said the defensive wounds on Aria were worse than on the other victims, which means she fought harder and longer. I'd say after she ended the phone call with her dad, she was killed then", he said. She nodded to him.

"The people in this room are the only ones on this case now. Flack, Messer, Hawkes, and Mac were all in New York when this went down, so they're cleared. Daniel has a solid alibi and I had stopped by to see Logan around TOD, so you all are clear. We have a rat in our midst", she said. Her eyes set on Don, who was listening to each word intently.

"Is there anyone around the bullpen that you can think of, someone who's listened a little too closely, or seemed pretty off?" she asked him. He frowned for a moment then relaxed his face.

"Well, everyone seemed pretty shaken up, but now that you mentioned it, one cop was hanging onto a conversation I was having with Detective Harding. His name was...Bud, I think?" he said. Isabella nodded. She knew Buddy Jones. He was a uniform with the Narcotics department with a blatant disrespect for everyone.

"I'd like you to look a little closer at his whereabouts without letting him know", she replied. He nodded. Her eyes flicked to Danny.

"Anything on your end? You've been hanging with the lab techs", she said. He shook his head.

"They didn't seem affected by the deaths until Aria's", he replied. His phone went off and he answered it. He was quiet for a second, then his eyes bugged. He hung up the phone and looked up at Isabella.

"That was Lindsay. The connection with our two cops back home brought them here on a lead. Two of their friends were murdered and they both received a text from the same cell that called them here, promising to give them information. She traced the number and it was a burner cell. Is there anyone here that took a trip to New York besides you?" he said. Her eyes flicked to Daniel. He shook his head.

"Mind looking into that, Danny? That gives us a really solid lead, we're getting close", she replied. This was a good meeting, they were getting close.

"I'll run the prints we found on the doorknob into the system, see if we can't get a match", Logan said. She smiled wider. This was a very good meeting. Mac looked at her.

"I don't think you should go anywhere alone, Isabella. If this guy's bold enough to take down a lead CSI, there's no doubt he'll go after you, too", he said. Internally, Isabella groaned, but she merely nodded.

"Wrangler will start sleeping in my room. If he hears even anything, he'll start barking", she replied. She checked her watch. It was two in the afternoon and her belly growled with hunger. She stood up and walked out of the room. Upon opening the refrigerator door, she saw her lunch was eaten. In the span of one day, she had lost her best friend and some stupid lab tech ate her lunch. She closed the door with a sigh and yelped when she saw Don standing on the other side.

"Did I scare you?" he asked teasingly. She gave him a stern glare.

"Next time you sneak up on me like that, I might hurt you", she replied, crossing her arms. He hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head.

"You hungry?" he asked. She started to shake her head, but her stomach snarled its protest. He chuckled.

"I've been here a week and I still have yet to try these famous hot dogs you were so argumentative about", he said. She rolled her eyes and pulled away.

"Then I guess I'd better rock your world then, huh?" she replied. She slapped her hand over her mouth when she realized what she had said.

"That sounded wrong", she said. Luckily, Don had a similar sense of humor. He let out a laugh and nodded.

"And I was so looking forward to it", he teased, wiggling his eyebrows. She rolled her eyes and tugged him after her. She couldn't deny her body food no matter how stressed the day was. The elevator ride to the precinct was short and they walked out of the precinct, to the garage where her car was parked. He let out a low, appreciative whistle when he looked at it.

"This is your car?" he said. She smirked and nodded. She unlocked his door with the key and reached over to flick open the lock on the driver's side and slid in.

"It's got a V8 Hemi engine. Zero to sixty in three seconds", she replied. She pressed the key into the ignition and pressed down on the clutch with a foot to start it. The engine roared under her as it sputtered to life. Her crappy day was always made better when she felt the rumble and roar of her Camaro's engine under her. She flicked the stick into reverse and drove backwards. She shifted the car into drive and drove out of the garage.

"I didn't think you knew how to drive a stickshift", he commented. Her smirk flickered into a haphazard smile.

"I learned how to drive a stick before I learned how to drive an automatic", she replied as they drove down First Street towards Rayer's. Her turn signal flicked annoyingly at the turn lane and she drummed her fingers on the arm rest. She revved the engine under her to keep from stalling out. She knew Phil would be devastated at the news of Aria's death. When she parked the car and got out, Philip Rayer was already coming out of the store to greet her.

"Isabella, long time no see!" the elderly man said. He was in his late sixties with white hair and kind gray eyes. He had known Isabella, Aria, Logan, and Ian all of their lives. The four of them had been going to Rayer's since they were kids. His eyes set on Don.

"Who's this?" he asked. Isabella looked down.

"A friend. He's a nonbeliever in your amazing hot dogs", she replied. Phil saw the hurt on her face when she looked down.

"Want me to punch him for ya, sweetheart?" he asked in a low voice.

"No thanks, Phil. He's cool", she replied. Don chuckled. Phil looked around.

"Well, where's that pretty friend of yours, Aria?" he asked. Pain shot through Isabella's heart as she looked up.

"Aria died last night", she replied. Her voice sounded foreign to her as she said the news. No matter how many times she said it, it didn't sink in. Every time she turned a corner, every time she looked at the elevators, she half-expected to see Aria jumping out and saying it was a joke and what a great joke it was. It wasn't going to happen. Phil's eyes saddened.

"That's a real tragedy right there. She was a wonderful woman", he said. She nodded and hugged the old man.

"I always knew being a cop was dangerous. Was she murdered?" he asked. He never beat around the bush, always got right to the point. Isabella glanced at Don.

"Yeah, she was. We haven't caught the guy yet, but we're looking", she replied. Phil frowned.

"I know just the thing to honor Miss De Luca's memory", he said, gesturing them inside. He went to the digital sign maker he had and typed in something. Isabella looked out front. Instead of 'Beef franks $1.99', it read the sentence in bold red letters: 'In Loving Memory of Detective CSI Aria De Luca. She Will Never Be Forgotten'. He looked at Don.

"Here, I have just the thing you need", he said, shooing them to go sit down. Isabella sat down at the usual booth she had shared with her friends many a-time. Her eyes flicked about the restaurant, taking in the decor. It looked like a fifties diner, complete with jukebox. The wall next to them boasted a picture of four kids: Isabella, Aria, Ian, and Logan. She chuckled, remembering the picture. She had had braces back then, with neon green rubber bands. The four of them were smiling hugely. Ian had had braces back then, too. Don's eyes followed where Isabella's had strayed.

"That you?" he asked. She nodded, rolling her eyes.

"I was twelve or thirteen at that time. Don't make fun of my braces, I had really really crooked teeth back then", she said. He chuckled, taking a closer look at the photo.

"You look cute", he commented. She rolled her eyes. Her hair was super short back then.

"Naw, you do. Not a lot of people could pull off braces", he insisted. Phil had two baskets and set them down in front of them with Styrofoam cups of Cheerwine.

"Thanks, Phil", she said. He patted her shoulder before walking off. She took a bite of her chili dog with onions. The familiar taste of a Rayer's hot dog melted in her mouth as she chewed. There was no hot dog in the world that was better than Philip Rayer's hot dogs. She let out a soft moan as she chewed.

"Enjoyin' that hot dog, Pacino?" Don said, an amused look on his face.

"I never not enjoy a Rayer's dog, Flack. Seriously, it'll change your life", she replied. Phil had gotten him a chili cheese dog with onions. He surveyed his hot dog before gingerly taking a bite. The hesitance on his face vanished.

"See? It's that damn good", she said triumphantly. He chuckled and nodded.

"Holy hell, that's an awesome hot dog", he said, looking at the footlong hot dog.

"Wash it down with the drink, trust me", she told him. He took a sip.

"Careful with showing me stuff here, Pacino, I may never leave", he said. She let out a giggle. It felt good to laugh, even though this was by far the worst day of her life.

"That's Cheerwine. A cherry soft drink indigenous to North Carolina", she explained. He rolled his eyes as he chewed.

"Now you're sounding like an infomercial or a tour guide", he said. She balled up a napkin and threw it at him, frowning playfully. He grinned.

"So, you're better?" he asked. She shrugged.

"How do you say goodbye to someone you've known the majority of your life? There's nothing I can do, and I won't let myself grieve until this is all over. I know that's how she would have wanted it", she replied, looking away. He tilted her chin to look at her.

"This isn't your fault", he told her. Her heart thudded unevenly in her breast as they locked gazes. The simple feel of his skin on hers felt almost intimate. His fingers had gently cupped her face as he searched her eyes. She had never been able to get over his eyes, how gorgeous they were. They were almost too pretty to belong on a man.

"I know, but I can't help but feel guilty", she admitted.

"You'll be fine", he assured her. She frowned.

"I know, that's the problem. My best friend died _today_, I was upset and I cried for two hours over it, but now I don't feel anything. That's the scary thing", she said. She pulled away from his hand and started shredding a napkin. He studied her.

"It didn't sink in yet, is why", he replied. She allowed herself to look up at him for a moment. He was right. No matter how many times she said it, it didn't feel real yet. She chewed her lower lip for a minute, continuing to shred the napkin. Her phone rang.

"Pacino", she said with a sigh.

"Hey, Iz, it's Ian, I heard about Aria, are you okay?" her brother asked in a rushed voice.

"Yes, Ian, I'm fine", she replied. He hung up and she frowned.

"Musta lost signal", she murmured. Don frowned.

"Think we oughta get back 'fore anyone notices we're not there?" he asked. She nodded, slapping down a ten onto the table.

"Keep the change, Phil", she yelled as they walked out. Little did they know, they were being watched very closely...


	17. One Chance

**_A/N: I know, I left it in kind of a lurch, but no worries! I have the next chapter after this one all ready to go. Hope you enjoy this one_**

* * *

_I believe in you_

_I can show you that_

_I can see right through_

_All your empty lies_

_I won't last long_

_In this world so wrong_

_Say goodbye_

_As we dance with the devil tonight_

_Don't you dare look at him in the eyes_

_As we dance with the devil tonight_

Breaking Benjamin — Dance With the Devil_  
_

* * *

Don sat at the desk in the Wilmington precinct, checking the list of the clock-ins and clock-outs of the past few weeks to check for a pattern. He had Logan check out Buddy Jones' alibi, but it was weak. He looked good for the killings, but they had nothing on him. Don drummed his finger on the desk, his eyes skimming over Logan Ross' name. He had clocked out an hour before Aria was killed, but that was to be expected. He and Aria had a daughter together, so she was number one priority. So far, everyone's whereabouts had been accounted for.

"Everything goin' okay, Yankee?" Detective James Harding asked. The 'nickname' was as annoying as it was insulting. Don dragged the list down and turned around.

"Yeah, everything's fine", he replied. James clapped him on the shoulder.

"Shame you didn't know Aria more. She was a kickass cop. We all respected the hell outta her", he said.

"Felt like I knew her pretty well from what Isabella's told me", Don replied, rubbing his eyes. He'd been going at this for about two hours now and he was feeling drained. Everything had been done discreetly, exactly under Isabella's and Mac's orders.

"Isabella and Aria were the A-team. This would've been the biggest case in their careers, they would've gone straight to the top", Harding said.

"Now it's just Pacino and Ross", Flack replied. He rested his hand under his chin, frowning. It had taken a lot of convincing for Isabella to let her brother's dog sleep with her to keep her safe. Stubborn woman.

"Unfortunately, that's how it goes. Isabella's not a pit bull, she's a wolf. Pit bulls get a taste of blood, they'll go after it. Wolves are more methodical, which explains her to a T. Someone goes after the station, no matter who it was, she'd wait and look at every angle before she'd attack. Get all her facts straight. Aria was more of the pit bull, someone would accuse someone of something and she'd be all over it", James said with a chuckle. He patted Don on the shoulder again.

"Well, I'm gonna let you get back to work now". He walked away, chuckling. Don felt a flash of suspicion and checked the clock-out time on Harding. An hour before the murder. He checked back to the times Fitch, Marx, and King were killed. An hour before. He needed more substantial evidence, but the computer screen turned blue. His jaw dropped and he pulled out his phone to call Isabella. Someone had just hacked the computer and crashed it. After a minute of a blue screen, it turned white, then black, and shut down.

"No, no, no, no, come on!" he growled, trying to turn the tower back on.

"Pacino", Isabella said lazily.

"Iz, I checked the thing you wanted me to look at. You're not gonna believe this. Someone just hacked the computer I'm using and crashed it", Don said.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Well, the screen went blue, then white, then black. I'm trying to turn it back on, but it's not doing anything, it's fried", he replied.

"I'll be right down", she said and the line disconnected. He knew not to take it to heart when she did that. The elevator doors opened and she charged out, glancing around before running to the desk. After pressing the power button a couple of times, she looked up at him.

"I'll just get this to the lab, you can use the computer in my office. Try not to crash it, though", she said. He grinned.

"I'll do my best", he replied. He watched as she unhooked the computer tower and lifted it up.

"Get the elevator for me?" she asked, nodding to the doors. He pressed the 'up' button and held the doors open so she could get in easily.

"So what was on the screen before you crashed the computer?" she asked, a teasing glint in her eyes.

"Well, so far, I've found out that Buddy Jones has a weak alibi", he replied. As the elevator went up, it jammed and shut down.

"Why aren't we moving?" Isabella said, pressing the '2nd' button.

"It's jammed", Don replied in surprise. She set down the computer tower and pulled out her cell.

"And of course, I don't have signal!" she exclaimed in annoyance.

"Me either", he said, waving his cell around to try to catch a bar. He didn't have enough service for a call, but he had enough for a text. "I have enough signal for a text, so I'm texting Danny to see if he can call the elevator to unjam it".

"This explains it. The killer works at the station", she said, running a hand through her hair.

"And that tower is proof", he agreed. She looked at him with wide eyes.

"He's working today", she gasped. He saw her point immediately.

"So who's working today? Jones is off", he said. She frowned to think for a moment.

"Well, Jones is off today, so he's clear. He doesn't know how to work the elevator pad, he barely knows how to work the elevator. Harding is downstairs, but I saw him leave, so he's clear", she replied.

"Did you tell anyone about what I found?" he asked. She started to shake her head, then stopped.

"I only told Logan", she replied.

"We're dancing with the devil here, Iz. Did you only tell Logan? You didn't mention it to anyone else?" he said. She shook her head.

"Just Logan, but it doesn't make any sense. He's in the clear", she answered. His phone chimed.

_'On our way, buddy'_, was Danny's reply. It had taken them an hour before the elevator was unjammed and moving again.

"The killer's working today", was the first thing Isabella blurted when she stepped out of the elevator. Luckily, it was Danny there and no one else.

"Are you sure?" Danny asked. She handed him the tower.

"Let's see if we can get something off of this".

* * *

The computer crashing was now a big joke between them. Isabella walked into the office, a smile on her face. It was her real, dimple-popping, slight nose-wrinkled, half-moon smile. She really was a beautiful woman.

"Oh, my computer is still running fine?" she said. He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, thank God you have a firewall", he replied. She kissed his cheek and looked at the screen.

"What do we have?" she asked, leaning over his shoulder. Her dark hair tickled his nose, causing him to chuckle.

"Well, we have two suspects", he started to say. She looked over at him, her blue eyes quizzical.

"Harding and Logan". She frowned.

"Why Logan?" she asked.

"I know you checked on him, but he could have committed the murder either before you came or after you left", he said.

"Why would Logan kill Aria? She's the mother of his child, I've known him my entire life. We have baby pictures together", Isabella argued desperately. He could see the pieces falling into place in her eyes.

"I just said he's a suspect, but it makes sense, hon", he said uncomfortably. He then pointed out the computer incident and elevator incident that had happened earlier.

"That could be a coincidence", she protested. He rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Maybe it's not a good idea for you to work this case. It's getting too close for you", he suggested gently. She recoiled.

"I _will_ work this case, and I _will_ get this guy", she snapped, her eyes flashing. She stood up and narrowed her eyes.

"The defense will have a field day with this, Isabella. You're going to get hurt if you keep doing this", he argued. He was standing up now.

"Why do you care?" she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. She was pissed off now.

"Because we all care about you! We don't want to see you crawl into this murder and never come out! I know the signs when someone gets too involved, and you're getting too involved. Ever since Aria's death, we've had to literally pick you up and carry you out of here so you can get sleep and eat. You need to walk away from this", he replied. Her hand flashed out and he felt a sting on his left cheek. The sharp 'slap' sound echoed in the air.

"You think you know me, but you don't. I know what I'm doing and if I have to do it by myself, I will", she snarled in a low voice over her shoulder before she stormed out. If he had to go behind her back to Daniel and take her off the case, he would. No matter the cost, he was going to look after her. Mac knocked on the door.

"I heard arguing and saw her storm out. Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Isabella can't work this case, Mac", Don replied, handing him the suspect list. Mac nodded.

"I suspected that was why she was upset. She's snapping at anyone who tries to approach her", he commented.

"I don't want to see another detective crawl into a murder and never come out", Don admitted.

"You care about her", Mac said. It wasn't an accusation, merely a statement.

"She's a fantastic detective, follows the evidence", Don replied, rubbing the back of his head.

"That's not what I'm talking about". He meant personally.

"I don't know what I feel about her. She's hurting right now, she's not thinking clearly. That's going to make her reckless", Don admitted. He could very possibly care about her in a personal way. She didn't like showing a vulnerable side. She was scared she was becoming numb to everything.

"I'll talk to her CO discreetly. I can just say I heard you two arguing and I'll have him pull her off the case, you have a point. She's getting too close and she's going to get reckless", Mac offered. Don nodded.

"I just don't want to see her get hurt, Mac. If she's another victim, I'm going back to New York. I wouldn't be able to keep myself from wringing the bastard's neck if he kills her next", he said.

"I know. Go track her down and keep an eye on her. Her movements are under your watch now, make sure nothing happens to her", Mac replied. With that, they both slipped out of the office. Don saw Isabella sitting on a windowsill, her eyes looking down at the city. Her arms were wrapped around one leg.

"Hey", he said softly. She looked up, her eyes stormy.

"Did you come to tell me that my badge is also suspended?" she retorted dryly.

"I came to tell you I'm sorry I rubbed you the wrong way. It was wrong of me", he said. He didn't apologize for telling her to back off. She shook her head.

"Sorry I slapped you", she replied. He took a step closer.

"You know I'm just looking out for you, right?" he said. She nodded, brushing a lock of hair out of her face.

"Yeah, I was acting irrationally. I thought it over and I saw your point. I am too close to this case", she said. He held out his arms for a peace hug. She chuckled wryly and hugged him. He kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back soothingly.

"I'm gonna be honest: I have to keep my eye on you, because there is a good chance you're next. This guy's already proven he's not afraid to go after a CSI, there's no doubt in my mind he'll go after you next", he told her. She looked up at him.

"I'm the last female on the force, it makes sense that I'm next", she said. He stiffened in shock. She was right. She was the only female left.

"If I go somewhere, I want you to stay with me. Don't trust anyone but me, Mac, Hawkes, and Danny", he said. She frowned.

"I see your point, but I'm your best hope for bait. If we want this guy, we've got to give him an opportunity", she replied.


	18. A New Beginning?

**_A/N: I wanted to do this song for a while now...I hear it, and it's so Isabella! Enjoy and don't forget to review! How am I supposed to perfect my story if I don't get any input? Lol either PM me your review, or leave it in that nifty little review box C: I know in earlier chapters, it says Wrangler's a Lab, but I'm gonna say he's a German Shepherd/Lab mix XDD_**

**_This is also the last chapter of this, but don't you fret, my dearies! I am now working on the sequel...stay posted ;D  
_**

* * *

_I'm gonna miss that smile_

_I'm gonna miss you, my friend_

_Even though it hurts the way it ended up_

_I'd do it all again_

_So, play it sweet in heaven_

_'Cause that's right where you wanna be_

_I'm not crying 'cause I feel so sorry for you_

_I'm crying for me_

Toby Keith — Cryin' For Me (Wayman's Song)

* * *

Isabella rubbed Wrangler's side, feeling his fur between her fingers. The black and brown dog waggled his entire body, his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth under her ministrations. She chuckled as he jumped onto the bed. It was time to go to sleep now, she was exhausted from the day's events. They had gotten nowhere on Buddy Jones' whereabouts, the cell had gotten them nowhere, as expected. Her lunch had been eaten _again_. It had been a week since Aria's death and Isabella felt as though she were being watched. Luckily, she still had guns besides her Glock. She had been hunting recently, and still had her hunting rifles. If the killer tried to get into the window, Wrangler would get a jump at him. She highly doubted the Killer Cop would try to get at her while she had Don on one side of the wall, Mac on the other side of the other wall, but unfortunately, nothing was impossible. The crack at the window caused her to jolt upwards and turn her attention to the window. She slipped her gun case from under her bed and opened it. Pulling out her gray camouflaged 30-06 hunting rifle, she went to the window. It was just a branch slapping against the glass. The wind was picking up and she could hear a low rumble of thunder in the distance. There was a storm due tonight. Wrangler whimpered and snuggled closer to her.

"Shush, boy. It's okay", she soothed, keeping the gun close to her bed. Ever since she was little, she was afraid of storms. She pulled the blankets closer to her chin and squeezed her eyes shut. About an hour later, her eyes flew open and to the window. The paranoia flooded her and she sat up.

"It's just the storm, Isabella. You're just being paranoid", she muttered. She laid back down and tried to close her eyes to sleep again. She was about to fall asleep when she heard Wrangler jump off the bed and growl at the window. She opened her eyes groggily and saw him growling at the storm. She rolled over and fell back asleep. She was once again almost asleep when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes flew open and she grabbed the gun, pointing it at whoever had the hand. She took the safety off.

"Who the hell are you?" she demanded. At that moment, lightning flashed and the man's face was illuminated. Logan.

"Logan", she gasped. In one hand, he held a knife. He was the Killer Cop. A slow smile flickered across his face. How could he? She stood up, holding up the rifle.

"I'm giving you to the count of three to get back onto the ladder and get the hell out of here. I will then dismiss this as a dream", she snarled. The smile turned wicked and he lunged for her, knocking the gun out of her hands. She writhed against him and landed a solid kick to his gut. The knife came down and she caught his wrist, holding it up. Her hand went to his face and she shoved him off, scrambling to her feet. She went for her gun, but she felt something against her leg. Wrangler was snarling and getting ready to attack. It suddenly occurred to Isabella. Smack the wall. She grabbed Logan's shirt and threw him against the wall, trying to wake up anyone. She tackled him down and pinned him down. She had the advantage as long as she was on top. She finally disarmed him of the knife and she tossed it, hearing it smack against the armoire. Weight crushed down on her, hands going around her neck. She fought him, throwing him down and bringing up her foot to kick him in the jaw. Her MMA training had kicked in. Wrangler lunged and sank his teeth into Logan's arm. The door kicked open. It was her cavalry, Mac, Danny, and Don.

"Wrangler, stand down!" Isabella commanded. The German Shepherd mix got off, snarling. He was bristling with fury, snapping his jaws. She grabbed her cuffs and had someone shove Logan to his feet. The sting of utter betrayal flashed through her, cold and bitter.

"Logan Ross, you're under arrest for the murders of Vivienne Marx, Lila Fitch, Janet King, and Aria De Luca. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you do not have an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?" she said, slapping the cuffs on his wrists.

"Yeah, I got 'em", Logan replied, his voice a low guttural snarl. This man was an animal. She shoved him down the stairs, adrenaline wearing off. Now she felt the sharp pain in her thigh.

"Izzy, you're bleeding", Danny said. She looked down at her leg and saw her pale pink pajama pants stained scarlet with blood. Sonofabitch, she was. He'd stabbed her.

"I have Ross, you go get Hawkes. He's downstairs", Mac said. She nodded and limped toward the stairs. The pain was excruciating, like someone lit her leg on fire. It felt like she had been shot.

"Lemme help", she heard someone murmur into her ear. It was Don. He wrapped one of her arms around his neck and lifted her up into his arms, bridal-style. She felt her face warm.

"Thanks", she murmured.

"Don't worry about it", he replied. He carried her to the stairs and had her lean over and open the doors for him until they reached the bottom floor. Marnie had already been up.

"Izzy-éan! What happened?" she gasped, running to her daughter. Her black hair was mussed from sleep and her eyes were wide. Don set her down on a kitchen chair and disappeared.

"I got stabbed, Mama. Remember the killer I was telling you about?" Isabella said. Her mother nodded.

"It was Logan. Logan went after me about ten minutes ago, dear God, if it weren't for Wrangler..." Isabella's voice trailed off, shuddering. Hawkes came into the kitchen with a kit.

"I thought Logan had an alibi?" he said.

"He did, someone must have had the timeline screwed up", she replied. He tore her pant leg above the cut and put it into a bag for evidence, and to examine the wound.

"Where's the knife, Izzy?" Don asked. She scrunched her face.

"It's in my room somewhere. Near my armoire, I believe", she replied. He grabbed a napkin and disappeared in search of the knife.

"You're a very lucky woman, Miss Isabella", Hawkes said, cleaning the wound with peroxide. She clamped her mouth shut, her thigh stinging from the pain.

"How so, Doc?" she asked, trying not to look.

"Well, you dodged a serial killer and only escaped with one cut", he replied. She gave Wrangler a fond look.

"That's because I had such a good boy with me, didn't I?" she crooned. The dog's tail thwapped against the floor, his rear wiggling.

"Let me take pictures of your wound and hands and then you can give the pooch his attention", Hawkes said. When that was finished and Isabella was taped up, she patted her leg to let Wrangler wriggle on his belly over to her. He knew a 'very good boy' was in order. She rubbed his belly, taking special note of his sweet spot on the bottom of his ribs.

"He's such a good boy!" she cooed, scratching his ribs. His hind paw started kicking and he groaned in happiness. Marnie kissed Isabella's head, murmuring to her in Gaelic.

"Mama, I'm okay", Isabella told her mother, uncomfortable with all of the attention.

"My baby almost killed tonight, I have right fuss", Marnie replied sternly. Isabella rolled her eyes and let her mother fuss over her. She stood up.

"Go ahead and go exercise that leg, but not too much. Try not to pop a stitch, otherwise you may have to go to the hospital", Hawkes said. She nodded and walked, well, limped in search of Don. He had the knife in a Ziploc bag and he looked at her.

"You could have been the next victim", he said. His blue eyes were haunted as he looked at her. She nodded, her eyes filling with tears. She limped over to him and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you", she whispered. He wound his arms around her waist to embrace her back.

"Any time, Rocky", he replied. She looked up at him and smiled gently. Her next move, she couldn't help, nor could she stop. She stretched onto her toes and pressed her lips to his. His fingers wound into her hair and kissed her back.

"Hell of a way to say thanks", he said, once they pulled away. Her face was flushed, she could feel it.

"Sorry 'bout that", she said with a chuckle. Doing something like that was incredibly out of character for her. But damn, did it feel good.

"Don't worry about it", he replied. He tilted her chin up and kissed her. The sound of someone clearing their throat caused her to jump. It was Danny.

"As happy as I am for you two, I'm gonna need that knife", he said, clearly embarrassed to catch them. Don tossed him the bag and he caught it, walking out. Isabella's nerves were frazzled and she ran a hand through her dark, curly hair.

"I'm gonna miss you", Don said. She looked up at him and a half-smile curved across her lips.

"I'll miss you, too", she replied.

"Good, 'cause you don't just kiss a guy then forget about him", he said, poking her ribs. She gave him a playful frown.

"It's a two-way street, Flack", she replied, planting a hand on her hip and leaning off of her bad leg. He gave her a grin.

"Like a guy could forget about a girl like you", he said. She raised her eyebrow.

"You mean a biracial midget who opened up a can of whoop-ass on three people so far?" she asked. He nodded.

"Well, you're not a _midget_. I'd call you 'petite', but not a midget", he replied. He ruffled her hair.

"Shorty", he teased. She swatted his hand away, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Hey, Romeo, Juliet, c'mon, we gotta lot to do", Danny called as he walked down the hall.

"You okay to walk?" Don asked, turning to her. She gave him a thumbs-up sign and turned to limp out of her room. She flicked the light off as she left. Damn, this leg was keeping her down. What was going to happen to Nevaeh? Her dad was going to be in prison, her mother was dead. Isabella's hand flew to her mouth as she was taken back to November 13, 2006.

_"It's a girl; Nevaeh Rae De Luca-Ross", Aria said, holding a tiny, dark-haired, fair-skinned bundle in her arms. _

_"She's gorgeous, Ree-Ree", Isabella murmured, staring down at the baby. Nevaeh let out a yawn and opened her eyes a bit. She had gorgeous dark chocolate brown eyes, just like her mother._

_"Izzy, I want you to be her godmother. I know you'll take good care of her if anything happens to me or Logan", Aria said, looking up at her. She held up the baby, as if to goad Isabella into the decision. As if she needed to. Her heart already swelled with love and affection for the baby as she took her from her mother's arms and cradled her. _

_"Of course I will. How could I say no to this beautiful little girl?" she cooed, bouncing the baby a little in her arms. She gently kissed the baby's forehead. _

_"You're the Godmother", Aria giggled. Isabella rolled her eyes. She had been constantly picked on for her last name being that of the Godfather's, or Scarface's. She was very, very distantly related to the great Al Pacino, but she wasn't Mafia. She left that to her estranged father._

_"She'll be in good hands", she told her best friend._

Legally, Nevaeh went to her. Isabella was the godmother.

"Oh my God", she said, stopping in the hall.

"What?" Don asked. She looked up at him.

"Where's Nevaeh?" she asked, limping back into her room and grabbing her cell. She flipped it open and called the De Lucas.

"Isabella, it's two in the morning. Is there an emergency?" Alonzo asked.

"Do you have Nevaeh?" she asked.

"Yes, she's asleep. What's wrong?" he said.

"Logan killed Aria. I'm coming to get Nevaeh in the morning", she replied.

"Alright, we'll talk then", he said, hanging up the phone. Dear God, Aria was really dead. It finally set in. She leaned against the wall and slid down, tears streaming down her face again.

"Tell me what's going on", Don said, bending down next to her.

"She's really gone, Don", Isabella whispered. Her two best friends were gone, she'd been stabbed, and now she had a daughter. She pressed her forehead to her knees as he pulled her against his chest and she allowed herself to cry.

* * *

The funerals

Isabella, Daniel, Kingston, and James Harding were carrying the coffin where Aria De Luca lain down the aisle in their dress blues. Mourners dressed in black in the police cemetery watched as a band played soft music. Isabella knew she had to stay strong as she carried her beloved friend through. It was symbolic, really. They had carried each other through their lives, helping each other up when they fell and carrying them when needed. Now, she owed it to Aria to carry her one last time to be put to rest. As the guns rang shots, she stood at the podium in the tent to give the speech.

"Aria Marie De Luca was more than just an officer. She was a daughter, a sister, a mother, and a best friend. There was no one more dedicated to the job of law enforcement than she, every case had her undivided attention and her absolute best. In the academy, they teach you how to shut up, do paperwork, and take orders, but Aria taught me what it meant to be a cop. I had known her for twenty-two years when she was so quickly stolen from us and taken from this world. Though she physically may not be here, she lives among us emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. For those of you who had the privilege of knowing such a fantastic woman, such a devoted friend and mother. A week ago, Wilmington, North Carolina and its residents not only lost an officer. They lost a protector, they lost an angel, and they lost a friend. She was a beautiful woman, inside and out", she said, looking among the crowd. She looked down and up at the screen.

"We have a slideshow that was created by the Wilmington Crime Lab in remembrance of the fallen officers that were taken by the Killer Cop, Logan Ross", she said, nodding to the tech. She stepped down and sat down next to the De Luca family as pictures and music started playing. 'Crying For Me' by Toby Keith. Pictures of Aria and various people were up on the screen. Soon, there wasn't a dry eye in the room as pictures of the women were on the screen. When her favorite picture of her and Aria came on the screen, Isabella couldn't hold in her sobs anymore. It was a picture of them in a candid shot, singing to each other in a very dramatic fashion, taken a day before she died. They had been singing 'Lady Marmalade' in the Trace Analysis lab while waiting for results, so they thought they may as well goof off. Everyone had been in at least three pictures. The final picture was a picture of Isabella and Aria with their arms around each other, grinning their best smiles up at the camera and sitting down. Isabella had been parked on Aria's lap. They had gotten a warrant and searched Logan's apartment for evidence. They found the teeth in his drawer and the fingers in his freezer, wrapped in aluminum foil. He was being put in prison, serving four life sentences and a possible death sentence. Mac approached Isabella after the funeral and rested a hand on her arm.

"I'm very sorry for your loss", he said. She wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace.

"Thanks, Mac", she replied. Nevaeh stayed close to Isabella and she picked her up.

"Go see Nonna, 'kay, sweetie? I'll be there in a minute", Isabella said to her goddaughter.

"This may be an inappropriate time, but I have an offer for you", Mac said. She gave him a wary look.

"Go ahead", she urged him.

"This was Danny's last case with the lab, he's been promoted to Sergeant", he started to say. Excitement flashed through Isabella's veins. Danny hadn't told her about the promotion, she'd have to congratulate him later.

"That's wonderful!" she exclaimed. She was truly happy for him.

"This leaves us with a slot for a CSI First Grade", Mac said. She widened her eyes.

"Mac, are you asking me to work at the lab in New York?" she asked.

"If you wanted to. I know you're Second Grade Promotable, so this comes with a promotion. I talked it over with everyone at the lab before I left, and everyone agrees you'd be the best one for the job. You know everyone there, you get along with them, and they like you. You don't have to answer right now, because of all that's happened, but I'd like it if you did come and work for me", he replied. She smiled widely.

"I'll definitely think about it. I mean, I have a daughter to think about now. There's basically nothing left for me at the lab now, I've been hurt there too much. If it's good for Nevaeh, I'll definitely give you a call", she said. Mac smiled.

"I wouldn't have it any other way", he replied. He patted her on the shoulder and she felt stunned by the offer. The New York Crime Lab was one of the biggest labs in the country; working there would be amazing for her career. She stood on her toes and looked for Danny. She saw him talking on the phone and waited till he got off to hug him.

"What's that for, Pacino?" he asked. She grinned.

"Congratulations on your promotion, that's what! Good work, Messer!" she replied. He ducked his head.

"So Mac told you, huh?" he said. She nodded.

"Did he also tell you I got to choose my replacement?" he asked. She tilted her head.

"He said he'd discussed it with the lab", she said.

"No, I got to choose my replacement and I chose you. You get a letter of recommendation from Adams and Montgomery and you're golden", he replied. She smiled.

"Gimme some time to work out everything, and I'll give y'all a straight answer", she told him. It was going to be a hard road, but she knew she wanted a new beginning.


End file.
